Parole
by ianob
Summary: To help her complete her transition to the side of the angels, Raven has to get Jinx out of jail!but will a changing Raven really be the best minder for the pink haired Enchanter? Jinx X Raven. i don't own any copyrights etc.
1. Prologue

Prologue.

The chambers were dark, only the lamps on the desk serving to brighten the judge's office, and the dark wooden panels and bookcases on the walls served to absorb the majority of its light.

"You four understand the nature of this request?" the figure behind the desk asked, his voice was as muted as the room, a professional voice, a lawyers voice, or a gamblers.

"We do. Its our honest belief that she has shown remorse and of her own free will, helped save the country, probably the world from a devastating attack." This figure had a youthful voice, but a calm, almost arrogant self assurance, he spoke from the shadows on the other side of the desk, seeming wrapped in the room's darkness.

The young figure gestured behind himself, at his three silent friends and leaned forward into the light, his masked face carried the match of his voices confidence as he spoke again "our team has been trusted in police and even civil defence matters, we're just asking to be allowed in on one more, and frankly we're the only ones capable of performing it."

The older man leaned against his desk as well, almost conspiratorially close now, and again spoke in his polished non committal tones "be that as it may, we simply cannot release a prisoner to a group of minors! I trust you robin, I do…

But my hands are tied… you see my position?"

He leaned back again, a slight smile carefully hidden in the dark as his trump card landed on the discussion.

A fifth figure leaned over to him. Startling the man out of his icy calm, he had not seen her enter the room, or heard her move, even heard her breath before this point

"Then there is no problem, the prisoner can be released into my personal custody, as I am a legal adult… that _was_ your sole objection to us yes?"

The voice was completely neutral not the judges professional detachment, it harboured absolutely no interest in its surroundings, and wasn't even going to fake it.

The judge started again as a set of ID cards slapped softly onto his desk, again seemingly just falling out of the air.

"You'll find those in order I trust?" the new speaker spoke again, a smirk now tainting its words.

Before he could gather a counter argument, the titans all rose, and moved to the door, bar robin and raven, robin took the judges unresisting hand and shook it warmly smiling as he said "thanks judge O'Donnell, we happen to have the paperwork filled in, just in case this played out, we will drop by the prison tomorrow to escort the prisoner to her new home in our secure facility, you will be kept abreast of her actions of course, and a parole officer has already been assigned to liaise with us on this" the judge still off slightly from ravens sudden appearance could do nothing but murmur in the affirmative and show the team out of his office chambers, politely waving the group off from his door.

'Three guys… and two girls… he counted again as they walked in a close knot down the corridor… could have sworn the redhead was the only girl on the way in…'

"That lot give me the creeps" he muttered to himself walking back to his desk, out loud trying to get the thought off his mind.

He jumped again as the cloaked figure walked past him smiling slightly,

"Forgot my ID" Raven intoned as she passed out the door for the second time, having never once walked in it, "goodnight your honour"

He sat on his desk, now completely spooked by the slim girl, 'I counted them leaving!!! Twice! How? … I hate dealing with metahumans… leave 'em to each other then, and good luck to the lot…'

Robin, Starfire and Beastboy all stood under the stone porch of the court offices, waiting for Cyborg to arrive in the car he had insisted on parking somewhere dry, as Raven rejoined them a broad, and all things considered, very creepy smile gracing her face.

"where did you run off to?" robin enquired quietly, "just making sure I made enough of an impression is all" raven replied, she then laughed softly "he'll do whatever it takes never to be alone in an office with us again… even release Jinx to my parole"

"What?"

"You're smiling, and you just laughed…who are you and where did you buy the raven costume!" Beastboy demanded pointing animatedly at ravens face.

"Idiot."

"Oh, it is you…. Thank god!!"

"listen, I need to pick up some tea and supplies, I'll see you all at home in about an hour ok?" the last remark raven directed at robin, who nodded his assent, as long as you have your communicator no problem… see you at home Rae." As the silver car pulled up, a darker shadow than those around it moved off downtown.

Cyborg's head stuck out his window, as he shouted to the group "which one of you called shotgun?! Get in, my babies getting wet!!!"

Instantly BB and robin squared off like Clint eastwood impersonators each waiting for the slightest twitch revealing his opponents first move… the dramatic scene was broken by a tiny clink noise as Starfire one hand over her mouth to hold in the giggles settled into the coveted front seat "victory is mine, wonderful! Friends, please seat yourselves in the seats of losers so I may share the story of my victory on the way back!!

The two young heroes utterly defeated, slunk to the cars backdoors and got in, both with a face that could sour milk as the car started to pull away, the only noise to rival the soft rain was carefree laughter and overexcited words as the princess wove her own story somehow stretching the tale back to the island the five heroes shared.


	2. explanations and collections

Chapter one:

Explanations and collections.

Early the next morning was typical in Ravens view, she rose automatically, sensing dawns approach, and greeted it on the roof after her morning shower, as she slowly moved through a kata robin had taught her a few weeks before.

She found it helped bring her mind and body together in the morning, after a night of the two drifting apart in sleep. Finishing the slow, graceful routine with both hands drawn up in front of her chest, palms facing each other, she exhaled slowly and fully.

Turning to face the new sun she felt at piece, and at an old command, almost automatically her powers inhabited her cloak, resting on the bench behind her, and settled it around her shoulders as she stepped down the stairs, she could feel the other four coming to awareness below and liked to use the kitchen before the wars kicked of in earnest…

Robin moved quietly into the main room of the tower, fully dressed except for the cloak he still carried like a teddy absentmindedly in his left hand, he ghosted over to the kitchen intent on denting the supply of coffee before anyone could stop him, Starfire always said he drank too much, but he could give it up whenever he liked.

But still, it was nice to get in his customary two mugs before anyone saw, then he could settle down and really enjoy the decaf the group had bought him at Christmas with his friends over breakfast.

He set the kettle to boil as he searched around in his zombie-ish coffee less way

'Mugs. Where the hell is my coffee mug? ah there it is Raven has it.'

'Damn'

Robin looked hungrily at the mug, then pleadingly at the smirking Titan holding it.

"What's this going to cost me? Monitor duty? Laundry?!" name your price!!!"

"why robin, are you trying to bribe me into silence about the coffee you drink every morning?!, shame on you…" raven could feel the unfocused noise of robins disappointment rolling of him, as she tossed him the mug, "I don't think I've got the last part of that kata set, you'll show me again?" relief and coffee greed welled up in her sense of robin "sure Rae, amm….

He looked at her expectantly, now only a few feet away from her, mug held loosely in one hand, pleading again in his eyes she looked at him finally, having preoccupied herself fixing her tea just so, and rolled her eyes

"No, I won't tell anyone about your secret coffee fetish, your shame is safe with me…

Although Cyborg is coming online, you've got about five minutes peace boy wonder"

His grin broke out "thanks Rae, seriously I can cut back on it anytime!"

She nodded sarcastically and drifted to the table leaving robin a clear path to the kettle.

The empty kettle.

"Raven, you truly are an evil person. You just wanted me for my hot water!!!" 'No coffee for me, the others will be up….'

He wandered to the table, sitting opposite the calmly reading girl with a glass of orange juice held like ashes in his hand. "That was low, Rae you distracted me and stole my boiled water…"

"And then kept you talking long enough to stop you reboiling and sneaking your morning fix, yes… its true, my reign of evil has begun robin…"

He glared at her sullenly. "No need to be sarcastic too… its very unfair of you to steal my caffeine and the expect me to keep up!"

The two met eyes briefly and smirked, pointless and silent one upping had become their contest of choice, since the two usually had the first few moments of life in the mornings alone together. And it had become so familiar that ravens dry sense of humour even made the odd appearance, without anything blowing up or moving on its own, except the never to be topped day robin had varnished all her teabags, rendering them waterproof. The fridge had to be replaced after she realised she was got so badly. Neither had ever spoken of the incident.

The quite air was shattered as Cyborg strode into the room grinning from to ear to ear; he was up early enough to start his breakfast without any protesters for once.

"Hey guys! how you doing this morning?, hey Rae, how long have I got?"

The grey skinned empath stared into space for a moment, eyes locked in the direction of the living quarters, "ten minutes Cy, he's confused about something, so you're ok, and I'm fine thanks"

Robin just waved as he stared into his bitter, bitter orange juice completely crashing from his caffeine low.

"Right, time for the living things breakfast special!!! You guys in??! I'm in a bacon and waffles mood" raven brightened up slightly, and nodded "sure Cy, one living thing special with waffle for me" the half metal man looked a bit surprised, raven never ate breakfast, but he had offered… "Sure thing Rae, Crispy right?" she nodded again and found her place in her book.

A few minutes later Starfire floated in looking fresh as she could, no sign of the early morning ruined her happy expression as she greeted her friends "joyous morning friends! It will be a beautiful day for our trip!"

"Star, we're going to the prison; it's not a nice place…" robin droned out still glaring at his untouched glass.

"Friend Robin? Has the juice offended you??" you stare at it as if you wish it to attack"

"huh?!, oh ah no star, just tired is all" robin tried to cover up but still caught the look of victory in ravens eyes as he turned to face Starfire, "I'm fine, really…"

Satisfied with this she floated by whirling suddenly as she passed the table, engulfing Raven in a surprise hug "good morning friend raven! You are smiling! This is wonderful; truly this is the start to a fine day!"

The smile had fallen off of ravens face quickly when she realised what was happening, but she could only return the hug and gasp her morning greeting to star, it really was the only exit from the Aliens death grip.

As Cyborg returned to the group with three plates, he smiled again "hey star, I heard you, so fixed up another plate, bacon and waffles ok with you?"

"Most fine, thank you friend!" as they sat she again seemed to notice something, "raven you are eating with us? But you hate the breakfast!" "I just felt hungry star, nothing unusual there…"

Ravens careful monotone covered her thoughts as she reached for her first slice of crispy bacon, 'I should talk to them, even Beastboy is noticing at this stage… after breakfast I'll get it in the open' this decided she fell on her breakfast, only slightly more politely than the two animals beside her, Starfire and Cyborg both ate as though someone was going to fight them for the food as usual.

Raven looked up at the door just before it opened; as usual beastboy's completely uncontrolled emotions were like a marching band approaching to her empathic senses.

He burst into the room cheerfully exclaiming "breakfast time!! What smells so darn good?!"

Cyborg's grin belonged on a car salesman as he handed the green youngster a plate stuffed with pan fried pig parts,

"ahhhhh!!!! Duuuude! This was a living creature! not cool!"

Raven shook her head as Cyborg laughed his off, the punch line to the living creature special always put him in a good mood for the day, and shut Beastboy up till lunch as he sulked, all in all she considered it a good thing, cyborgs childish glee left a good feeling In her mind, the pure and positive emotion was a comforting feeling to the empath and only helped her to enjoy her food more.

After the meal raven offered to do the dishes, just to politely separate herself for a moment and think 'right, I've decided to come clean…. Do I just do it? Build up to it? Start with a joke?… no Beastboy would explode…' absentmindedly as she argued with herself the dishes flew off the table and carefully scraped themselves in the bin, before depositing themselves into the dishwasher, which opened itself for them.

'right, just do it' she decided abruptly and walked back to the group, pushing her hood off to reveal her slim face and large, sorrowful violet eyes as she faced the group still seated at the table

"Guys? Can I talk with you?"

They all looked surprised, raven starting a conversation was rare, but sounding so unsure of herself was almost unheard of.

Robin looked at the others, and spoke for the group in his usual calm tone "sure raven, what's up?"

"Ok, you guys all know my story right? my powers and how I needed to control myself so I could resist my fathers influence on my emotion?"

"yes friend Raven, we all remember, and we also recall you vanquishing your father!" Starfire as always tried to sound positive and supportive, even if she wasn't sure where this was going.

"Well, this is what I need to talk about… I've realised that I don't need quite so much control anymore, while my powers are still tied to emotion, and dangerous – my father is dead, he will never possess me so maybe I can relax my control a little…" this last was delivered in her trademarked dead voice, but her friends could see the anxiety in there quite friend about this decision, again Starfire was the one to speak up "why must you discuss this with us? Surely it is joyous?!" her tone was curious, but hopeful.

Well, to be honest star, it's because if I relax too much, you are the ones at risk, and the ones I don't want to see harmed if my powers slip…

And… well…"

At this point raven was pacing at the front of the table nerves obvious in her face at this last point, something she seemed to think would be the deal breaker.

"Well… dammit, I'm not human! I… I don't know what I'll act like if my instincts are allowed to surface more, I've always suppressed everything like that, and acted from my head… what if I start to act like….."

"Trigon" Robin finally spoke the word Raven couldn't bring herself to say.

"Rae, of the five of us, only me and Cyborg are human as instincts go, Starfire is Tamaranian, Beastboy says himself that he can act more like an animal unless he thinks about it… we'll help you do what we all do, learn which ones are ok, and which ones aren't, you would help any of us, without a question, let us do the same"

She was touched… she could feel there acceptance of robins words before they could agree verbally, and Cyborg was touched that robin still thought of him as human,

Her eyes misty, she faced them again "thank you all, I promise to try and control myself as much as I need to… thank you…"

She trailed off into silence again, obviously touched and unable to say it properly, as Starfire came floating over the table and engulfed the slight girl in another bear hug giggling to herself "this is wonderful! Soon you will be able to wear other than the blue, and we can do the shopping for your new clothes yes?!"

Faced with an ecstatic princess, and her overwhelming bundle of emotion, three inches from her nose, Raven could just nod in acceptance, and then snap her gaze to robin in suspicion; she could _feel_ the sneaky thoughts rising in him…

He rose from his seat with a grin that threatened to unzip the top of his head, "Starfire that's a great idea! you always say you'd love to take a girl friend for haircuts and a makeover!!" the smile just got wider as the alien squealed in delight at the suggestion and raven glared at him, plainly promising doom for the spiky haired leader.

'That'll learn her for sinking my coffee plans…'

He glanced at the clock on the wall next to the monitors, and shook himself "alright guys we have to get to the prison, time for Raven to collect her new parolee" the whole team stood and headed to the door as one, Cyborg brought up what was on everyone's mind, who's got sh-

"Shotgun" the rapid word was at odds with the deadpan delivery, and the others looked back in shock as raven sank through the floor in a pool of shadow, which dropped her into the passenger seat of the still locked t-car.

The familiar silver car purred through the city making good time through the nearly abandoned early morning streets of Jump city, the plan was to make there collection before the general prison population was awake, to minimise interference in the whole operation, Robins plans as usual were thoroughly paranoid, and involved being out of bed at an ungodly hour.

The heavily armed gate guards waved the titans through on arrival; the teens had helped them so often they actually were on first name terms with some of the longer serving members of staff.

The group quickly made its way to the processing area, and acquired a new member as they walked; the warden had appeared to speak with them out of the prisoners hearing beforehand.

The slightly doddering older man was almost as tall as Cyborg, but thin and pale, his squint was permanently etched into his face despite the strong glasses he wore, and his voice was thin and high, he always spoke rapidly and nervously since far too many metahumans prisoners were calling his prison home.

"Robin, I'm glad you made it, very glad, She's just finished processing out now, and is getting changed I believe, this is most unusual, but if its what those up the line recommend…

I can't say I'll be sorry to have one less to worry about!"

He gestured quickly at the door he had lead them to "here we are now" and he stepped through into the next room.

The room beyond was utterly bland, concrete walls and floor painted solid grey, the furniture was bolted to the ground and solidly made of steel, again the heavy dismal grey made its appearance.

Into this boring hole of a room a bundle suddenly fell in the door opposite their own entrance,

Raven blinked away her first impression of jumbled emotion, confusion and annoyance mostly, and power rolling beneath the skin, to focus on the sight before the team jinx was out of uniform, obviously wearing what she was arrested in a few weeks before, a hundred miles north of jump city her blood red jeans hugged her well developed legs seeming just to colour her curves rather than conceal them, from her clunky army boots to just about over her hips, exposing a few inches of toned, grey midriff below her pink and white tie dye t shirt, again, tight enough to be considered a colour scheme for her body as opposed to a covering, Raven smirked at the large black button on the girls chest, which read Fetch me cookies or be destroyed!! Under a picture of a cartoon kitten shaking its fist… cute, but odd, just like jinx raven decided.

The girls face was the same, even if she lacked her usual pink touches of makeup her bubblegum eyes and hair added more than enough colour to the picture.

Raven realised she was staring, having never seen her out of uniform, and snapped out of it, stepping forward with robin she greeted Jinx in her usual flat voice "Jinx, we're here to take you"

The pink haired girl blinked her cat slit eyes at the abrupt statement, "you guys are what? What the hell?, I get pulled out of bed two hours early and told skip breakfast to be barked at?!"

Robin held up his hands pleadingly, "we. Well, Raven are taking you into custody, because you helped against the brotherhood, we've got your outstanding sentence reduced to parole, but since you're a metahuman… we're the only ones they'd allow handle your case…"

Jinx blinked again, obviously expecting a few more insults before anyone was rational

"so let me get this, I played nice for once, and now if I can convince- show you guys I mean it, I get to stay out of prison?! Where do I sign!!?"

"The paperwork's sorted, just need to take you home that's all…" robin said obviously glad she was happy with the deal

"Just like a puppy at the pound" 'trust raven to put the boot in. honestly, she can't resist having the last word sometimes…' robin glared at the empath but she ignored him completely. "Come on the cars in the courtyard…

"You guys brought the T-car to pick me up?" she asked puzzled, "that seats five, there are six of us… and what do you mean home? You sorted me with a place?!"

"You'll see in a minute Jinx, just come on" with that robin walked out, saying goodbye to the relieved looking warden on his way out.

As they approached the car, robin turned again, alright raven you're in the back first then you jinx, you guys-

"Shotgun!!!!" with a shout Beastboy jumped in the passenger seat and stuck his tongue out at robin

"As I was saying we're in after you jinx…" raven opened the door and slid in giving jinx room to follow still protesting there wouldn't be enough room for them all

Raven decided to play with the other grey skinned girl just a little as she reached out with her powers and jumped the surprised felon into her lap "plenty of room now" she whispered into her ear earning a yelp from the pink eyed girl.

"Raven!! Just tell her the plan, stop screwing with her!" robin commanded in the door sharply 'ah well, fun while it lasted' thought raven, as she felt the cloud of shock and… something role off jinx, 'guess its back to business' "your right jinx" she said as her cloak rose around both pale girls, "the car couldn't carry us, it's a decoy" another yelp was all that was left in the car as both girls melted into the endless shadows inside ravens cloak.

Robin and Starfire piled into the back and looked at each other as the door closed "friend raven is now joking and pulling the pranks? This will be most confusing…" everyone agreed quietly as the car pulled back into the street.

Darkness, a cloying shadow hid everything and goddess it was cold!!!

'where am I?, what happened to everything?' jinx's thoughts were panicked in the long moment spent in the darkness before she rose from it like cold water breaking around her.

"Where the hell am I now?!" darkness again, but a much more human kind, her strange eyes quickly adjusted to make out the books and covered mirror in front of her… "I'm in-

"my room" the flat voice was sourced in the shadows behind her, as she spun to see raven behind her, raising one arm she tensed as she sensed the gather magic an instant before it was released and-

The lights came on. 'Duh. Of course she's not attacking! Get a grip jinx'

Raven looked at the girl crouching in a defensive stance in the middle of her bedroom and she could feel how out of balance and nervous she felt 'ok, I've had my fun, time to be nice' "jinx, its ok, this was the plan, the car would serve as a decoy while I brought you directly to the tower, it was just the safest way of moving you" raven even managed to soften her voice slightly during her explanation "come on, you said you missed breakfast?"

Jinx looked at her still obviously a bit confused, "actually, I kinda want to shower, I have been in prison for a while, and its always nice to start doing some stuff without company again…" she was proud of herself, she was starting to get herself back under control, even a bit of a joke…

Raven looked surprised, then a bit, ashamed? Weird… "Ok… you can't use MY shower, but we'll get the guest room set up for you when the guys arrive…" raven was speaking almost to herself for the last sentence "but come on, we can at least feed you"

Jinx was a bit offended at the whole not MY shower bit, but decided to get fed before arguing the point. Raven lead the way down toward the main living area, as they entered the huge room she turned too face jinx again "um, is there anything… do you have any dietary things? I mean, diabetic or Kosher or vegan or something? I mean its not a bother, Beastboy's a Vegan, and Star is an alien, so we have most stuff here…" she waved vaguely at the large fridge, which seemed new, or at least hadn't been there last time jinx got in here, and all the cabinets.

"no, no weird things, I'll eat anything really, only thing Is a few times a year I need a couple of herbs for a religious day, but nothing odd, and the closest is a couple weeks off…" jinx seemed relieved the conversation had reached something normal and moved to the fridge sticking her head in, and coming out bearing the bacon Cyborg had spared from breakfast and a smile that could sell toothpaste, "sweet!!! Rasher sandwiches!"

"um, what?" raven said half amused at the girl moving happily along the kitchen fetching bread and a frying pan, lighting the gas cooker with a pink flash from her fore finger half confused about her odd statement "rashers – you know, bacon? Can't believe you've never heard that?" raven shook her head, "no that ones new, guess I should pay more attention to breakfast…"

As jinx fried some strips of the bacon and cut thick slices of bread she started talking over her shoulder again "so, why are you do gooders trusting a recidivist like me? I mean, one good deed doesn't make me a titan!" "no your right it doesn't, but it does put you in the maybe column, and we would never know for sure with you locked up for years on end, so we decided to give you a try, kid flash gave you a recommendation last time we saw him too… that didn't hurt" rave was being totally honest jinx knew, it made sense, if she could be convinced to change teams she could be worth a lot, better too risk it then leave a potential asset rotting away. But still…

Raven looked at her, her emotion jumped as she got the answer, from fairly happy, to thoughtful and now almost wistful and sad… "What's wrong you're sad?"

Jinx looked at raven, 'that's an odd way of putting it' "well, I mean, I just thought my days of being used like a faceless resource went away with brother blood… its not a nice feeling." The pink haired girl had now slumped her shoulders over her task of assembling two sandwiches with the crisp bacon; she pressed one into a surprised ravens hand as she passed on the way to the table.

"Strangely, I know what you mean, and not just because of my powers… I was manipulated for my whole life from both sides into doing what they decided was my duty. Your right it's not a nice thing to realise you're a tool."

Raven sat down, saddened that without realising it she and her friends were manipulating jinx in much the same way her father and Azar manipulated her for years… pushed her here and there and told she was being done a favour.

Jinx studied the grey skinned girl in front of her, as she stared accusingly at her bacon sandwich completely lost in her thoughts, 'its surprising how much we look alike… similar height and build, even if I AM a bit more toned, we both have weird skin, pretty much the same again, and our hair and eyes are both pretty much unique…. Both magic user as well and obviously raven has been jerked around by experts… I guess there but for the grace of god goes me… maybe I should be nicer…'

"Raven, why would your powers let you know what I mean? You're a telekinetic right? Although, that doesn't explain the teleporting thing… now that I think about it…"

Raven snapped back to herself and looked jinx squarely in the eyes, before she came to a decision.

"Ok, you deserve to know about me since we'll be living together. So, I'll tell you the stuff the guys know, it's only fair you know who and what your room-mates are after all…"

She seemed to gather herself for a moment, then took a breath and began:

"My mothers name was Angela Roth, just a teen from Gotham, she ran off on her own, her parents didn't care a whole lot as far as I know, never looked for her anyway…

Ok, mom ran away when she was a little younger than I am now, say seventeen… she took shelter in one of the old buildings around the edges of Gotham, like an old church she said. While she was getting a drink a bunch of people in robes came in. apparently mom had just wandered into some cult, and drank what she realised- wrongly- was there holy water…"

"Why wrongly? What do you mean?"

"I'll get to that shush, anyway, being young and needy and hungry… mom fell in with this crowd, a cult as it turns out who were trying to help there god get over to earth, one night my mom was the lucky girl to play summoner…"

Raven fell silent for a moment, the story obviously hurt to think about but she continued on regardless

"Turns out mom hadn't drank holy water… the opposite actually, she didn't realise it till the summoning was successful, and very briefly and with very little power… Trigon was summoned to earth."

Jinx's face went slack at the name of the Eighth devil, one of the most feared names on earth… "Go on" she muttered even though she was getting a horrible feeling about the rest of the story

"Turns out Trigon wanted the same thing as everyone else. Family. He- he raped my mother, who ran as soon as she could, but his mark was already cast on her stomach…she tried to kill herself, realising what I was _for_, but even in the womb just quickened, I was too powerful for that… mom was found by the monks of Azarath a kind of monastery dimension opposed to Trigon, they helped mom survive, and delivered me, the eighth devils daughter and future bride…"

At this Ravens face had twisted into a kind of horrid pride, realising just how much her story shocked people

"the monks divined the prophesy surrounding me, basically I can become a portal, linking or travelling between dimensions with ease, that's how I got you here, its creepy, but basically I wrapped you up in my soul and carried you through it, in a minor dimension near to this one… anyway, the prophesy stated on my eighteenth birthday, I would begin to bring him to earth…

I was raised to feel nothing, I was twelve before I met my mother, for fear she would raise my emotions, because my other powers the telekinesis is very responsive to my emotions, thinks blow up when I loose control, and until recently any loss of control could allow my father to possess me, and guarantee his safe arrival…

The monks taught me how to inhabit objects with my soul-self that's how I pick things up, and I learned how to strike out with it like a blade or a claw, I can also absorb the pain and injury of others, healing them, and to finally get to the point I know how everyone feels, because I'm half demon, and powerful demon-blood at that, I'm a very strong empath. I can sense emotion and sometimes surface thoughts if you're really screaming them, and if I lose control I can pretty close to warp reality like a demon can…

After this long quite confession jinx was in awe of the girl in front of her, sure her life was beyond textbook crappy, but raven was the freaking antichrist, and she could play the hero and help screw ups turn themselves around… it was amazing…

Raven was looking down now, those sorrowful dark eyes staring without focus at her feet, when an odd feeling drew her attention, Jinx wasn't scared… even her own friends, who had known her, fought beside her for so long, had been terrified when she explained it all, jinx was sad for her, no pity just feelings of compassion and shared hardship it was amazing that a self confessed repeat offender super villain could take this better than the others… when she raised her damp eyes, she could see the same film of tears in jinx's eyes… Beastboy had stopped making eye contact for a week, and _Jinx_ cried?!

"Thank you for telling me, I can't imagine you like telling that story… I can't believe you rate me enough to tell it to me so early" jinx was genuinely touched, a rare feat in her young and harsh life.

Raven just gave her another sad smile "you deserve to know who you are tied to. We're asking you to trust me; it's only fair that comes with full disclosure… besides I sensed you could handle it…"

The quite atmosphere that had grown around the two young spell casters was shattered by the approach of an argument down the corridor which quickly burst through the doors revealing the green titan yelling at robin "but Dude! I need it!"

Robin sighed as he turned and stopped "no BB, you don't. You want a moped that's very different, besides which, I have a licence to drive my bike, do you?"

At the unexpected appearance of a civil and well thought out objection beast boy stalled completely, "if I get the licence? Then we talk? Right?" "Sure thing BB, but your too young for a full licence on anything that's could keep up with the T-car, so I can't justify the team paying for your lessons yet… next year."

The green boy looked like Santa had just been arrested for shoplifting, but nodded and walked away, head hanging down…

Cyborg walked over to the girls at the table, aside from raven he was always the most perceptive and the first to try and cheer people up; he spoke up as he reached them, his voice uncharacteristically at a normal volume, and it was surprisingly soft and calm when he spoke that way jinx noticed "you ladies ok? You both look down… want me to wedgie BB? That always brings a smile to your face Rae! How about you jinx, anything you need now that you're on the side of the angels?"

Raven gave him a warm look, her version of a hug most days, and just said hey, jinx leaned over and hugged the metal titan "hey stone, good to see you without a sonic cannon in the way, just like the old days…"

At this he blushed and laughed "ya, just no more Gizmo bugging me for my breaking and entering homework!!" the two separated and sat down again, both obviously lost in the few fond memories from the hive academy for a moment.

"So, what's with the hugging? You buttering me up you bad luck fairy?!"

Jinx laughed again relieved that they fell into there old patterns of friendship so fast

"Yup, I need a working shower of my own, don't want Ravens cooties you know! And I figured it was a nice way to apologise for eating all your bacon…"

"MY BACON?! You she devil!! Not my meat!!! What's gonna be for lunch!!!" the tall man ran to the fridge "aww man, only thing left from earth is Tofu… wonder what stars pink stuff here tastes like…"

"Don't forget my shower stone!! Not all of us can make do with turtle wax!" he threw a grin back to the table as he walked away "no bother bad luck, I'll make sure you get what's coming to you…" with a cryptic remark he wandered out in the direction of the living quarters

Raven was still looking at jinx with the smile in her eyes "stone and bad luck hmm? You guys were a little bit friendly at school huh? I recall him mentioning a dance?! Not to mention the pink fluffy emotions you both got just there…"

Jinx had the grace to look slightly embarrassed its, it wasn't like that, he was a brilliant student, and one of the few without any obvious brain problems, aside from the meat fetish… he was easy to be friends with, and you have no idea how rare that was in the people I was surrounded by… not many guys worth my time you know? Or even girls!"

"well in that case, I can say that he likes you the same way… he was probably just as shocked to meet someone he could talk to in that madhouse…" finally she could see the embarrassed haze lift slightly as a new ball of happy moved to the table she leaned over to jinx and whispered "brace for impact" the message was totally lost on jinx who just looked at her in confusion until Starfires arms crushed her into the aliens embrace "new friend jinx!! It is wonderful to meet you without the shooting!! We must be the best of friends as you are with friend Raven!!" the crushing hug combined with Starfires use of an outdoor voice two inches from her ear was stunning jinx a voice whispered into her mind just hug her back and shout of course Starfire! As loud as she does, it's the only way out, sorry for barging into your mind jinx glanced over at raven, giving a silent thanks to the girl with the glowing eyes as she bear hugged Starfire and exclaimed cheerfully "of course we will be friends Starfire!!" at this the Aliens eyes glowed a brilliant emerald and her smile could have lit a dark house like dawn "Glorious!! We must journey to the mall of shopping when we can!! Raven has agreed to do the shopping and the makeover with me!! You must come!!"

Jinx glanced again at raven, gauging the chances she agreed to a makeover, then just smiled and nodded, "sure star I'd be happy to, but first I kinda want to shower you'll excuse me? I have to find St- Cyborg see where he's set me up…"

She stood to go and as she walked away seemed to remember something "ah, all my stuff was lost in the arrest, can I borrow a clean set of clothes Raven? You're around my size, and I kinda want to wash these…" Raven just looked up and nodded, rising and leading the way out of the room "sure jinx I have something you can take…." "Stop by my room first?" as the two girls left Beastboy glanced at Starfire, "she's allowed in ravens room?! I'm not allowed I there!!" "I believe it is because you are the boy, and ravens room is a girl's room…" he just nodded, he'd accept that reason, for once it wasn't personally insulting.

At the door to her room, raven paused and hit the entry key forgetting for a moment jinx was behind her, the girl moved as quietly as robin at times; she began to straighten some of the odds and ends on her desk, picking up her hand mirror carefully she began to put it into the desk then turned "jinx, whatever else you need, just ask and you can borrow it, even my books if you want, but the two books and the mirror in the desk are very dangerous, please just leave them alone…" as raven placed the mirror into the drawer jinx glimpsed two books, one in a dark leather only adorned by a single rune, like a broken 'S' drawn around a small diamond shape – the mark of scath she realised with a frown, and the other a pristine white leather volume, with what looked to be vellum pages, and no markings on its plain cover, barring a few scorch marks.

"No problem raven, I can sense the power in both of those… its, not something I ever want to touch… what's with the mirror? It feels like you more than anything else" quickly she realised how weird that sounded "I mean, its magic feels like your aura!"

"The mirror is designed to help me focus, it can kill anyone else who activates it fairly easily…" jinx blanched at this remembering playing with the mirror when she had led her team into the tower. Raven finished tidying her desk and went to the wardrobe; it was filled with copies of her uniform, until she moved the back panel with her power revealing a small shelf with a few sets of clothes folded neatly on it.

Seeing jinx's puzzled expression she shrugged "I live with three boys and an alien who started off with no concept of personal space, I learned to hide anything you want to keep private"

She reached into the hidden cubby, and pulled out a soft navy bundle handing it to jinx, before stepping into her bathroom, the door of which was disguised behind two bookshelves to fetch a couple of towels. When she stepped back into the main bedroom again she handed jinx two heavy dark red towels, then just turned and beckoned her out of the room. Neither of them noticed they had forgotten to turn on the lights.

In the corridor ravens face went blank for a moment, the she nodded, "Cyborg has set you up a couple doors down, he's in the guest room now, I'll show you."

The guest room turned out to be around the corner from raven's room, on the other end of the T from the other titans. Cyborg opened the door a broad smile plastered across his odd features, until he saw the two approaching girls "hey everything's all set up! We keep the water and power off in these rooms till we need 'em, I set you up on Rae's side since I remembered you need a bit of piece and quite like her, so I got you as far from BB as I could!"

He faltered slightly at the two suspicious glares he received "um, bye!" he shouted the last as he sped away down the corridor, raven turned to jinx, "you ok? I'll be on the roof if you need me, I usually meditate up there or in my room if everyone's home…" she wandered away back toward the main living room as jinx smiled and entered her new room.

The room was laid out very like ravens, and similar in size, but was facing the other side of the house so the morning sun poured in through the broad windows over the bed which was wide and low, the carpeting and walls were pale yellow creams, perfectly complementing the sunlight; it was a calm space, but neutral like a hotel room. Still, all in all an improvement over the cell she had in the solitary wing of the prison earlier that day.

Moving to the bathroom, her deeply ingrained paranoia kicked in, spurred on by Cyborg's smile as he was leaving the room, and his attempt to hide it from her…

'Metal boys trying to prank me, I know it in my bones, he better not have… yup he did…' she had moved slowly moved through the room checking the fittings, finding what she was looking for in the drain of the shower, 'booby trapped… lousy stone… no idea what this will do…'

Raven was sitting at the table waiting for one last cup of tea before going upstairs when a scream reached the room faintly, she jerked upright and reached out, the pain was in… her room? 'what the?' she vanished in a pool of shadow emerging from her own ceiling, glancing about she noticed her bathroom door was open, and her shower was running, all she could hear was a quite sobbing as she rushed in.

Jinx was lying half out of the shower stall, naked on the floor burnt from her forehead down along her face, the reddened skin seemed to carry all down the front of her body but raven couldn't see it, jinx was curled into the foetal position.

Rushing to the girls side raven's eyes glowed with power as she locked the door to her room keeping the others who were rushing to investigate the noise outside, jinx wouldn't thank her for letting the boys find her nude and hurt, "jinx, jinx please look at me, you'll be ok, I'm going to heal you now, but I need you to calm your mind, or I wont be able to concentrate ok?" the pink eyed girl met her gaze through tears of pain and she nodded "good, your doing great, your being very brave…" she spoke soothingly stroking her pink hair like a frightened child, as she gathered enough power to again form a glow over her eyes and she looked jinx in the eyes again "I'm going to start with your face ok? It won't hurt, but it will feel a bit odd when my power touches skin…" she reached out holding her hands the barest fraction over the girl's skin as a white glow sprang up between the two.

Raven hissed as she felt the burns under her hand on her own skin as if she was burnt herself, the reddened skin smoothed over and paled back to its normal hue under her touch, she ran her hands down jinx's neck, and along all the expanse of her chest, quickly straightening out jinx carefully to reach her legs again running her hands suspended a hairs breath over jinx never touching the sensitive burn as she took the pain into herself lifting it from jinx as quickly as she could. Finally she finished and sat in the corner herself, trying to recover from the phantom pain all over her skin, as jinx recovered enough to sit upright, she wiped her eyes and hugged raven "thanks Rae, I owe you, I owe you big, you ever need anything, on either side of the law its yours… thank you for caring…."

Raven was now very uncomfortable, hugs were never her thing, hugs from naked wet girls were so far out of her comfort zone she started to panic, the only calming thing was the sense of genuine gratitude and friendship springing off of jinx in waves, 'I get the feeling not many people have ever been nice to jinx before, I guess this makes us friends…' she stood helping the other girl to her feet, come on lets get you dressed… I cant hold the others outside forever… she reached into the streaming shower to turn it off jinx looked shocked as the scalding water flowing over ravens arm didn't get any reaction from the reserved girl.

They walked out to the bedroom and jinx slipped into the outfit raven had loaned her, a navy 'of course' she thought with a smile set of pants and a matching top, the cut was vaguely oriental, everything was very loose and baggy, except the sleeves and ankles which were both help very tightly to the skin for about six inches above the cuff with tiny stone buttons and decorated with black and white geometric embroidery, the neckline was high, reaching halfway up the girls slim neck, again buttoned tight to the skin without being uncomfortable.

"What is this made of raven? I've never worn anything like it…"

Raven gave a small smile, "its from my home, Azarath; its very like a soft warm wool, but the lining is very close to silk… its one of I suppose three pairs on earth…"

Jinx looked touched that she had been loaned something so rare and obviously meaningful for the quite girl.

"Oh, thanks again… guess I can't go pick one up then…"

"Brace yourself again, we have company…" raven spoke as she gestured at the door allowing it to open and nearly dumping robin and Starfire on the floor as it did, they quickly straightened and the whole team marched in, huddled together in the dark like unnamed soldiers in a horror movie. Robin spoke, obviously concentrating on keeping a casual voice "hey, Raven, you mind turning on the lights?"

The grey pair on the bed glanced at each other and laughed softly, neither had realised the room was in near total darkness raven clicked her fingers, and small flames sprang into life in the holders scattered around the walls giving a comfortable light. The whole team visibly relaxed except Cyborg who was suddenly face to face with the four eyed theatre masks and responded by shrieking like the worlds largest schoolgirl shocking everyone else.

Realising he was being stared at he shrugged "those things always freaked me out…"

Robin gathered himself again, still smirking at the embarrassed giant, "what happened in here? We heard a scream, then raven vanished, and we all got locked out, we've been banging on the door for five minutes!"

Raven stood up and glanced at Jinx, "for some reason jinx decided to use my shower. She got burned very badly, I healed it. The door was locked because I didn't want three boys bursting in on her naked to make things worse."

Robin looked at raven oddly, but turned to jinx, "are you ok now?"

She gave a small smile "ya, Raven could make a lot of money healing… I'm fine now… just embarrassed and plotting to kill Cyborg at the next opportunity…"

Again everyone swung there eyes back to the huge man "why? What did Cy do?" Beastboy didn't sound like he was objecting, just curious.

"He booby trapped my shower, I couldn't figure out what it did or how to kill it so I decided to just use ravens…"Cyborg was so embarrassed even his steel cheek seemed to redden; it was just a prank you know? About three minutes in it would reverse the flow, spray up cold water and play Yankee Doodle…"

The silence lengthened as robin tried to glare a hole in Cyborg "jinx turned to raven and cleared her throat

"Thanks and all Rae, and sorry I used your shower without asking… but what's with your shower? That water was boiling hot!! It didn't even bother you!"

Raven looked slightly embarrassed at this, "I told you, I'm half demon… its not just grey skin and night vision, I…. I never feel warm here, its just cold all the time, I need the boiling hot shower just to warm up sometimes…I guess that half of me is just built to live somewhere an awful lot warmer… I never mention it because it's not very human to sit on the beach in a heat wave and shiver as people are being treated for heatstroke"

She looked at her feet for a moment then brought her eyes back up to her friends, "I hate it when I do something that reinforces how different I am…"

Starfire floated over and hugged raven carefully, "we do not mind how different you are raven, and you are our friend; that is all that matters."

As always sincerity surrounded Starfire as she spoke raven blushed slightly and murmured her thanks to the redheaded princess.

"um does anyone mind if we take this to a room that doesn't seem to be watching me?" Beastboy had gotten over the shock and was getting progressively less comfortable with ravens room, far too many decorations had eyes, and the low flames made them seem to be watching him patiently. The group gathered themselves and walked out together, as the door closed, behind them the flames flickered and died of there own accord.

The Jump city mall was no stranger to oddities, as the city with the third highest metahuman criminal population, (after Gotham and Metropolis, who traded first place regularly) its commercial district wouldn't blink at the angel Gabriel playing his last solo on main street, but even then, as people ran into the huge covered streets of the mall stepped back in shock at the rising shadow form bleeding up through the main floor and coalescing into a bird of prey; as its wings spread it deposited two unique girls below itself, a tall statuesque redhead, and a whip thin girl with shocking pink hair.

The shadow itself folded back into its body, by some trick of the eye it was now the shadow cast by another girls cloak, seemingly thrown out by the light poring from her eyes, as fast as it appeared she sank to the ground and the scene settled to its moderate background strangeness.

Starfire was floating a few inches above the ground; she was used to the shadow transport and knew it was not precise, jinx stumbled slightly on appearing, still clad in the dark outfit she had borrowed, with her hair down and spread around her collar carelessly, she appeared shaken, but quickly regained control.

"Girls I hate walking in the rain too, and I know Cyborg was busy loving the car, but why was that better than a taxi?! Who sat down and said that hell dimensions were a great way to travel!!!"

Raven smiled slightly at the normally unflappable girls slight rant, and answered with that amusement colouring her words

"well, you were the ones who decided to go shopping, I don't get wet if I don't want to regardless of rain after all… but the further I travel like that, the deeper it requires me to pull into my soul-dimension, its not hell, it just a little under decorated…"

Starfires eyes were distant, until they locked onto something on the first floor gallery, then they literally glowed with happiness

"Friends! I see where we may begin our quest of the makeovers!!" with those overexcited words, she seized jinx's hands and flew straight to the shop, raven followed at a more stately pace, rolling her eyes at her girlish comrade, until she saw the shop, then they narrowed

"Starfire, that shop is pink. All of it. The floor is pink. I may burst into flames upon entry…" warnings aside she was pushed in by the alien, who was well used to outlandish reasons Raven couldn't try on something cute, no matter how much she actually wanted to…

"Friend raven, Beastboy has informed me that pink is your favourite colour, I do not believe it will harm you… why will you not try it on? "

A brief red flicker appeared under the dark hood at beast boy's helpful input, but she just muttered about getting happy for that, jinx who was idly glancing about turned confused to raven "who's happy? Is that your little nickname for BB? What do you two get up to that makes you call him that?!" on reflection jinx decided, poking raven in the ribs playfully as she ribbed her was a slight miscalculation, which was shown when she was pinched unmercifully by absolutely no one.

"Happy is what told Beastboy my favourite colour, just because its what it manifests in… and next time I see her, I'll explain that… convincingly."

"aww, here I was hoping you secretly loved pink… would explain why you always paired off with me when we met!!" jinx's pink eyes were dancing as she said this, playing slightly with a lock of her candy hair to make here point as Starfire giggled throughout the whole exchange, she had never seen someone tease raven, let alone poke her! Beastboy came the closest, but he just wasn't as bold; it was a wonderful sight to behold, someone that could draw raven into such a teasing conversation.

"So… where did you and happy meet? She sounds cute!"

Raven sighed; obviously she had forgotten that her odd mental state wasn't common knowledge. "She is, she is sickeningly cute, also bubbly. I have yet to decide which is worse. Remember the mirror I explained you couldn't ever touch?"

Jinx looking slightly more serious as she noticed the calmer tone in raven's voice and simply nodded

"Right, that mirror is an entry to my mind. It allows me to basically enter my own mental realm, and manifests the facets of my mind as copies of me. Happy for instance is me, if I had nothing but fun and laughter on my mind, then there's knowledge, bravery and a few others. It was designed to allow me to resolve any serious problems I had controlling one or the other sides of me, rage… well, rage was always a problem…"

Jinx nodded again, looking serious now, so your emotions can unbalance your control too? Mine used to, but I guess I just have less raw power to manage, we always wondered why you had to keep such tight control… how come your less uptight now?"

The two were side by side now, both had found a rarity in there groups, a fellow magic user, and were oblivious to the clothes Starfire was piling in there hands as she shot around the store

"well, to be honest, I'm in the middle of an experiment, with my father gone, losing control is very unlikely to destroy all life on earth nowadays… so I guess you could say I'm letting myself on parole too, seeing if I can interact more since I only need to control my own powers, its going well enough, even if I am learning some odd things about myself…"

Jinx again looked interested and motioned her to continue, as they both still on auto pilot sat outside the changing rooms

Raven continued, the reforming thief was a very good listener, the minimum of idiotic comments or fearful expressions as she discussed herself and it encouraged her to continue, being more frank then she was used to, even amongst friends

"Well, I grew up in a monastery right? I had the right way to live and think drilled into me, suppression of emotion killed all my drives, food didn't matter as long as it was nutritious, music was only used to aid meditation that kind of thing, that stuff is coming up now, and … the fact that I'm half demon is becoming rapidly more obvious to me…"

"What like the boiling shower?"

"Exactly, yes… that never bothered me as long as I wasn't cold enough to be frozen it was ok, nowadays I like being warm, same as everyone else…"

"Just promise not to eat me."

"I promise nothing."

Both looked up at the natural pause in the conversation noticing Starfire quivering with glee as she modelled a tiny and insanely cute sundress, in the middle of winter

"What do you think?! Is it not wonderful!!?"

Both the pale girls looked at her as she revolved slowly mid air, then each other, then her again.

"Its you. Definitely you" they announced in unison.

"Thank you! you must now try yours!!"

Both realised they had arms full of two or three outfits picked while they talked quietly they grimaced together, and then stood to try them on.

Both rushed through the selection finding excuses where they could, jinx and Starfire both bought one or two things raven declined to purchase, or comment and they moved on, the next store the two dragged star into, was more into darker and less cheerful clothes, where for revenge they forced her into the latest over buckled and zipped jeans and shirts, raven bought a few dark shirts for around the tower, and a pair of jeans; Beastboy had managed to ruin her last good pair by putting some of robins freezing disk chemicals into the washing machine.

Jinx stopped in several shops and picked up the basics she was missing, jeans shirts and underclothes all went into bags that soon towered over the girl as they broke for pizza she noticed raven had no bags at all

"What happened to your stuff? I know you had one or two bags leaving that last shop!"

Ravens eyes lit up with amusement as she said "did I? I might have put them in here somewhere…" as she drawled out the sentence she stretched her entire arm under her cloak never touching the cloth, you'd be surprised what I can fit in here…

Both of her friends were disgusted with her, considering the piles they were lugging about "friend Raven, perhaps we could also…"

"Of course, it would be cruel to make you carry that stuff…" she gestured and all the bags were enveloped in darkness, you guys know what's your own right? Fine"

She completed the swing of her arm that brought all the bags under her cloak and seemingly out of existence.

"Starfire was finished her pizza, and looked to be getting more and more exited, let us go for the cutting of the hair!!" she squealed "we must all have knew looks!"

Both girls facing her looked away at the same time; jinx looked up with a blush creeping along her neck, actually… I don't let other people cut my hair… its kind of a religious thing… I do it myself at home"

Both looked at her, then raven spoke up "you don't allow pieces of yourself in others hands? Old fashioned… but there's nothing wrong with paranoia I guess"

At Starfires expression jinx explained more "I believe that with pieces of a person, like their hair or blood, you can hurt them, actually since I was taught how to do it, I know it's true!, because of that I never let others cut my hair…"

"Oh, I understand… Raven will we get the new styles?!"

The dark girl shrugged and said sure star, I need a trim anyway, and I swear its growing faster again… maybe I will do something a little different this time…"

The alien's expression was suitable for finding a golden ticket in your wonka bar, never had raven agreed to get her hair styled before!!

"Come we will do it straight away!!"

The group ran to keep up with the sugar high redhead, getting to the stylists in record time, and instantly attracted attention, as is only fair, considering two were dressed in there superhero uniforms, and all had outlandish hair, jinx swiftly took a seat at the back and smiled as a small and absurdly dressed man kept touching ravens purple-black hair, demanding she tell him what product she used this instant!! When she just shrugged and said it was common in her home dimension to have oddly coloured hair he got upset and stormed off, obviously assuming she was being smart, which was true, but she wasn't lying. After all her father had bone white hair…

Starfire went first, explaining in exited English and Tamaranian what she wished, raven briefly went to jinx, reaching once again too far into her cloak, to extract a book which she handed to the pink eyed girl,

"Here, it's only some of the Grimm's old fairy tails, but there in the old form, if you can't speak German, tell the book, it will translate…"

Jinx looked a bit shocked at the kindness, and the offhand treatment of what to her was powerful magic but took the book, and thanked raven distractedly as she examined it

Raven almost smiled, familiar with being fascinated by a good book, then steeled herself for the challenge ahead, briefly considering from what she thought of as the bad thoughts section of her brain on simply possessing the stylist to cut out the mindless chatter, but decided against it as she sat into the chair.

The Tower was being used to its fullest in its brief stint as a bachelor pad, Cyborg was downstairs, blaring the car stereo as he fixed something underneath the chassis, more for pleasure then any actual problem, robin sat in the dining area on the computer, blaring his music and reading up on Gotham case files, while Beastboy sat in his usual spot, glued to the TV, which was on dangerously high volume to compete with the other twos stereo's.

Into this, the pool of shadows rose in the centre of the floor, quickly forming raven's soul self and dropping the other two, and a large pile of shopping, then resolving into raven herself.

Starfire tried to greet the boys, but couldn't even hear herself shout, when jinx tapped her and shook her head smiling, she took an exaggerated pistol marksman's stance aiming her left forefinger at Beastboy's back on the couch, a thin blast of pink energy hit him and for a moment nothing. Then as they looked on, identical slightly mean grins on raven and jinx's faces, he picked up the remote yawned and sneezed at the same time, the resulting convulsion sent the remote over his shoulder muting the TV on its way, then hit robin in the back of the head, who instantly muted his music to give out to him

As the boy wonder spun to maul BB for throwing things at him as he worked, he was confronted with an oncoming Tamaranian, newly curled hair flowing behind her dramatically before she hugged him to within an inch of his life.

Since in near death situations the senses are keener, he even noticed jinx holding ravens arm, forcing the shy girl to high five her as she celebrated something laughing in what could charitably be called a maniacal fashion at Beastboy who seemed to be completely confused about something.

"Hey girls, you just got back? Star your hair is very nice, it suits you!"

Yes the boy wonder, toughened from years of exposure to women with the ability to kill him had learned to always notice a women's new hairstyle, batman wasn't the only learning experience in Gotham after all…

After a moment his eyes finally managed to convince him they were telling the truth, ravens hair, usually concealed or pushed behind her ears, was styled simply, but very neatly, flowing straight down the sides of her face with a slight curl in the end, it framed her face well and took away from her usual distracted scholars air.

"Raven yours is lovely too"

He grinned as the empath blushed at the complement and set about detaching Starfire, typically, he was sneaky about it – asking about the things she bought to distract her

He really didn't mind star pressing against him, in fact he would happily encourage it, but he needed those ribs if he was ever going to do anything about it after all.

Raven and jinx both grabbed there bags and went to unpack, jinx lent in as they left the room grinning broadly

"Oh gods, you don't like BB, you like Robin!!! Is it the mask?? I never would have pegged you as that kinky, though I guess it makes sense… always the quite ones as they say!!!"

Raven Glared at her but waited till they were out of the room and the doors closed before replying

"Ok, first thing, BB has excellent hearing, so does Cyborg. Just for reference, I wasn't blushing over robins words, even if _he_" at this she jabbed a finer in jinx's ribs "was nice enough to complement my hair, I was blushing at what he was feeling…"

Jinx wasn't going to let the sentence die there; it was just about to get good!

"So come on, what was up, tellme tellme tellme!!!"

"Ok, ok but keep it under your hat" jinx did a very cute little boy scouts salute before raven could continue

"I was paying attention to robin because he was talking, when he realised Starfire was rubbing against him. Its pretty obvious what _that_ did to his emotions, and I wasn't prepared for other peoples dirty thoughts right that minute, god I hope he didn't realise it…"

Jinx just grinned as they walked along, happy with her gossip as Raven stopped suddenly eyes narrow

"Why would you expect me to be kinky!!!!? You only found out my fathers background a few hours ago!"

'Crap said too much again, ah well, now, the truth that may kill me? Or a convincing lie? Crap she's staring… lousy perceptive raven…'

"Well, I was… just teasing?"

Raven just grunted and felt the waves of relief role off jinx as she realised raven wasn't going to pursue it further. When they reached they're rooms jinx pulled ravens book out of the last bag she had bought and handed it over to raven with a smile

"You have to teach me that translation thing, it's very cool"

Raven just looked sad for a moment then nodded, obviously not happy with the subject as she walked to her own door; she turned at the last and said

"I'll be meditating for a few hours I'll see you at dinner, try not to get sent to prison…" before jinx could fire anything back she had locked her door.

With a smile jinx noticed the status bar was modified, with 'open' 'locked' and meditating – abandon all hope, ye who enter here' written on it. As she smiled the last one lit up. Shaking her head she turned and began to organise her own purchases.

Dinner was fairly quite, being ravens turn to cook, everything was simple and the normal mealtime argument was settled when Beastboy was handed a salad as he drew breath to begin hollering. Everyone else got a simple dish of rice with a simply spiced cut of pork on the side; everything was plain but filling and enjoyable.

Jinx who was still wearing ravens clothes complemented her; genuinely surprised the girl was able to prepare a nice meal for six that easily. Raven just shrugged, "as I said I grew up in a monastery everyone took a turn in the kitchen, it was a good place for me to learn to handle a crowd of busy people without going haywire; I liked it there, as much as I was able to…."

The boys all looked a bit shocked; getting raven to reveal anything was at best a struggle, jinx seemed to have the knack to get her to open up, in fact since her arrival, the team had learned more about raven than jinx.

Robin decided that a full stomach was the best time to broach a delicate subject and he turned to the parolee "jinx, I hate to bother you, but part of our deal is that we know more about your capabilities, I wont ask you to reveal any more than we have, but I need to start a proper file on you soon, and since we're talking I would like to know more about brother blood; he might be incarcerated now, but I would like to be better prepared if we ever find him again…."

At the mentioned name jinx's eyes went flat, and then glowed so bright power rose off them like sparks from fire. Blood will never resurface. Period. After his hold was broken and we realised what he was, what… he had done to some of us… ugh… every student and graduate of the hive, which is nearly 30 of all metahuman criminals under 25, got an e mail. Blood dies. Someone sees him; he'll get met in a dark alley some night by ten or fifteen of us… them… and that will be that. He hasn't broken out because telepathy guarantees a solitary sentence; you guys have no idea…"

Raven was having trouble controlling herself; the disgust and self loathing were boiling off jinx, met only with a homicidal rage to balance it all, and at the mention of the name all positive emotion vanished completely.

She leaned over and put her hand on the girls arm- ravens version of a tight hug- and asked quietly, what… what did he make you do jinx? What's causing this feeling?"

Pink eyes jerked up to meet violet 'damn empath's! I don't want to think this again!'

"He made us help. After he met Cyborg and jacked his design, he made us help round up people to be modified with it, he had your end result, but not your methods for grafting it on… he had to experiment to find that, we- me gizmo and mammoth, were his enforcers since none of the others could stop us if we went to capture them, we served as his little helpers during the operations as well. I used to up the chances of success, while gizmo adapted the tech on the fly. Sometimes we needed to hold them still if he decided anaesthetic was interfering and the pain broke his hold."

She wiped the tears of her face, but they were already pouring onto the table.

"He was the only success. Once he had the procedure down, we modified him, he didn't want anyone outstripping him power wise. We got away when he was unconscious… barely. Otherwise we would have been cyber too, with no free will ever again."

The table was quite. Robin was absolutely still his hands clenched. Starfire was shocking, her eyes were glowing and her hands were encased in energy as tears streamed down her cheeks, Cyborg looked inconsolable his tech… killed people… it was his worst nightmare all of his gear was intended to save people…

Raven was being overwhelmed; the feeling around the table was so strong it was breaking the control around her own anger and that would be bad… bad for blood, and the cell block he was on, 'that scum, how dare he!! How dare he force these children to do such things! I know things like him, and he is going to meet them… bastard!! Scarring this girl, hurting this person who treated me so well! He was going to hell, and he wouldn't even die to get there.'

Jinx was lost in her own thoughts as she tried to stop reliving the terrible memories she had brushed the surface of. Until the grip on her arm grew sharper, more possessive she turned to look raven in the eyes. All of them.

'What the!?!? How is that happening, what IS that! She- oh gods… she is Trigon's daughter, I was laughing about it… what is she going to do?'

"Raven? Are you… are you ok? You look… angry"

'God, what a way to hint, are you turning into a demon?'

Raven glanced down her eyes burning terribly as a cruel smile broke out across her features, her teeth had lengthened considerably

'That grin is Very close to my face, and that's a lot of teeth… lots more than ten minutes ago'

The shadow's under her cloak went pitch black, all the other shadows in the room were flowing like water to her side, slowly she increased in stature, her cloak still resting on the floor but she was now taller than Cyborg.

None of the others had ever seen this happen so slowly or in a bright room with her hood down, watching her face twist was so much more terrible than just seeing four glows under a hood. Jinx stood slowly and stepped closer to raven,

"Rae, please, your scaring me, please show me your eyes, ok? Can I see your face again?" She leaned in and took both of ravens hands softly, "please come back ok, don't do whatever is on your mind…"

Raven glanced back at the table, wondering why she was listening she decided it would be best to explain, perhaps even share?

"Don't worry jinx, it will be fine soon… as soon as I have located Blood, he will be woken, and I will then take him to meet some … people… he deserves to meet, and then I'll leave him there, in hell, Alive. Forever. He will regret everything eventually…"

They didn't seem to get it, oh well, its not like they could ever stop her, they were only mortals anyway…

Jinx shook her head sadly, "I can't let you take him…"

"What?!"

"His death belongs to a HIVE student, don't try and take it."

"He hurt you, I like you, and I'm going to hurt him. No one else can, won't be able to for years, if he ever gets out…. No. he pays, I won't let children be scarred like that."

"Raven I won't let you be a killer, it's the one thing I can give you, its your innocence. I will stop you if I have to"

What used to be raven looked down, 'this little girl, not even fully mature, wants to fight?! Her powers were odd, but nothing compared to Trigon's Heir! '

The strike came without warning, a pink blast that struck with no gathering of power or gesture to give it away, striking in the upper set of eyes

Raven reeled back, the jab stunning her, as she gathered her power something slowed her control she felt off…

Jinx cart wheeled as a lash of shadow passed through what moments ago would have been her chest, again a pink blast striking out from her left hand, robin signalled the others back, all of Ravens information pointed to physical attacks being pointless now. Magic and elemental attacks were the only way, and Terra was entombed… it was jinx or nothing.

As they retreated jinx was in the most exhilarating fight of her life the huge shadow form had no tells, the eyes were the only feature visible now, the hood had risen on its own moments before, the strikes came without any warning and were frighteningly fast, she spun to her left and dropped into a cats tumble to her right immediately, firing a huge wave as she stood into a back flip a grin broke out across her face as sweat started to run down her brows, she hadn't cut loose in a while…

Raven staggered again, every time those blasts struck the tiny voice got louder, more insistent; shouting now, the same three words again and again, 'NO! Rage will not be bound again!! I will do as I wish! Why does this voice force her to obey these mortals' rules! We are ABOVE THIS!!!! NOTHING BINDS US BUT THE THINGS WE ALLOW!

_Azarath_… no not back in the darkness… _metrion_ …. That pink sorceress … she caused this, she is formidable, we will remember her, finally someone of interest… _ZINTHOS_!'

The huge shadow froze, mumbling to itself hands to its head; slowly the hand began to tremble… then slowly as the four eyes locked onto jinx's the hood was pushed back… Raven tumbled out of her cloak. herself once again, lying gasping on the cold floor her cloak stood for a moment then collapsed, all the shadows ran back to there place; the room was suddenly normal aside from the two girls… one gasping for breath on her knees pink hair around her face, the other lying barely breathing on the floor chanting between gasps. The others slowly re-entered, and helped the two up, Cyborg picked jinx up, scanning her for injuries, as Starfire picked raven up bridal fashion, and began to leave the room,

"I will take raven to her room. She will wish to meditate after this…" even Starfires voice was sombre as she walked away; shoulders slumped, whispering to the sobbing bundle in her arms like a crying child.

Later, much later, jinx limped to ravens door; she was dressed for bed, just in a baggy white t shirt and a pair of men's boxers she hesitated, it signalled locked, not meditating, so she knocked twice, and waited.

Te door slide open into the darkened room, nothing moved, and no one was at the door, jinx's cat-like eyes adapted to the darkness instantly. There was a lump in the sheets on the bed that shivered slightly; it was the only sign of another person in the room.

As she approached softly she kept her mind calm knowing that load thoughts or emotions were as bad as shouting to an empath 'no wonder she's in the most secluded room'

"Raven?"

Her first word was low and hesitant, not wanting to disturb her if she truly wished to be alone… the mirror was face down on the floor at the foot of the bed, carefully she stepped round it.

"Jinx?" raven turned slowly, her head barely emerging from beneath the covers as she spoke. Her appearance shocked jinx for a moment, her eyes were red rimmed and baggy, and she looked so drained…

"Rae are you alright, I wanted to be sure before I slept that you were ok…"

A sad smile flickered on ravens face; she could sense how sincere jinx was, and how concerned she was… it was touching that seeing one of Ravens worst moments since she conquered the world, even fighting against it, jinx still cared.

And seeing her fight again, sensing her power, left raven feeling slightly different about the seemingly carefree sorceress, she was an equal now in a strange way, worthy of consideration…


	3. Team bonding

Chapter two: team bonding.

"Rae, your staring… its creepy, do I have stuff on me?"

Raven snapped back from her thoughts with a start

"yes I'm… well no, when the room got so filled with anger and outrage; my rage overtook me and changed me into what my powers can really do… well almost- no demon armies or altering reality, or tattoo's this time thankfully…. I had to go into myself and sort it out, and even then only because you gave me the one in a million shot of retaking control with your hexes… I'm not ok, but I will be after sleep, meditation and ice cream…"

She hesitated slightly, and got out of the bed, wearing a loose pair of pyjama bottoms and a white tank top, a red gem was visible just below her naval, like the one at her forehead she moved over that last few feet, and hugged jinx tightly,

"Thank you, thank you for caring enough to stop me, to fight me…no one else could…"

"Rae…" 'oh lords she's going to kill me in a minute' "raven, you got so angry about me being mistreated that, well that happened, in a weird way, I'm going to take it as a complement, my well being means that much to you…"

'What the hell, enjoy it'

Jinx mentally shrugged, her tight control over her emotions was slipping she put her arms around the Titan and held her, rubbing her back lightly with her left as her right hand rested in the small of ravens back.

Both stood there for a long moment enjoying closeness neither was familiar with… then something caught ravens attention: jinx was aware of her, of the small stone piercing low on her belly, of how small her top really was considering ravens build… aware of it like a boy would be…

'Oh Azar! She's turned on!! – Why not, I _am_ attractive – not the point!! Amm… what now…' raven realised she had never had any feelings this way before, about anyone… between her strict control, and her inhuman viewpoint, no one had ever been attractive before, 'wait, I think she's attractive? Oh crap… robins going to lay an egg if something happens here…'

Jinx was blissfully unaware of the turmoil in ravens head, she expected it, but didn't think it had arrived yet, since there had been no recoiling… she just enjoyed the feel of raven pressed against her, the first person who ever saw beyond her powers, or her record and got happy or sad or angry for the person behind all that, treated her as a person, not a tool or an enemy… cute helped…

This long frozen moment was only disturbed when raven lifted her head from jinx's shoulder to say something, and jinx in a moment of wild enthusiasm and optimism misread it completely; kissing her softly full on the lips.

'!' raven couldn't think, her eyes closed as she leaned into the nicest, the closest contact she ever had, it took a moment of relaxing and returning the kiss clumsily before reason stamped down on the pleasure that had hijacked her for a moment 'a wonderful, wonderful moment… kiss her again, throw her on the bed!! Take what I want for once!'

raven shook off these thoughts and stepped back regretfully, drawing a small moan from jinx, the sound of which raven knew would warm her for weeks, we can't… we, just can't I'm in charge of you!!" ravens words were hoarse and rapid.

"Yes ma'am, you're in charge…. I can live with that…" raven wasn't sure if the sentence was spoken or not, either way its low purr sent a completely new and shockingly simple feeling up her spine and jinx folded into her; hands closing around ravens hips as she kissed her long neck from just behind the jaw down to the collar bone, softly flickering her kisses along skin she never thought she would experience as raven's mind shut down, and acting on pure desire her hands tightened; one on jinx's neck, holding her mouth where it was, the other at the small of her back, leaning jinx forward as she sat back onto the bed…

True to her word, or her thoughts, jinx was allowing raven to move her around the empath's body, she wasn't demanding anything in return, just the chance to do what she was doing…

As the white tank top slid off the bed, a strangled gasp escaped raven, and she flipped position suddenly jinx was in the vulnerable position as raven took a kiss from her mouth demandingly, her hands moved up the washboard stomach, down the slim neck, the neck she was kissing now, then the collar bone… a t shirt joined the tank top on the floor…

Now both girls were surer, more aggressive, almost attacking the newly revealed flesh, each had a hand, a mouth, a tongue making her arch and hiss in pleasure.

Raven was lost, let alone the new devastating sensations her body was assailed with, even her mind was no refuge, the feeling of the pleasure shooting through her partner at her own touch dominated her thoughts, the sensation of touching something so desirable, driving it wild, then reaping that feeling yourself… raven was well and truly lost, nothing could stop this now, it was going to keep feeling this glorious no matter what.

While ravens mind was buzzed on sensation her body, again almost independently tore the boxers that opposed her off her new lovers body, tossing the shredded clothes onto the floor, she explored the new skin in the same way, hands and mouth lightly and quickly touching the whole area, then returning more slowly and surely to the areas that caused the best response, as she worked jinx into a fever she could barely believe her own actions, this was something she had never even explored on her own! Quite literally raised as a monk, it was never important, now a beautiful girl was crying out in joy at her ministrations, it was unreal! Ravens hands wandered again, returning to jinx's small breasts, perfect on her athletes frame, each forefinger rolling over a tight pink nipple, causing jinx to arch once more and dig her fingers into raven without realising it.

As she kissed her way along the toned stomach, returning on her path of minutes before, she once again felt threads of pain along her back and sides, causing her to bite down on the soft flesh under her lips, she felt jinx's mind go blank as her whole frame went rigid, nearly bucking raven of the bed, before her breathing and thought returned moments later… jinx pulled raven up into a kiss, deep this time, not even a pretence of chastity anymore, taking, demanding what she wanted! She rolled the empath onto her back and kissed a wet line down from her lips, along the jawbone, into the hollow below the ear and down the muscles of the neck, gripping with teeth sheathed in her pink lips; almost biting the meeting of shoulder and neck; the hand pressed into her hair commanded her, driving her on; she dropped the niceties and sank her cattish teeth into ravens neck and shoulder, almost breaking skin leaving a trail of dark bruising that made raven gasp she made her way to the breasts. Her hands already there caressing the inhumanly soft warm skin as her lips marched around the breast, kissing anything but the nipple until raven roughly forced her head down onto it then cried in relief at the feeling, jinx wound her way down the feminine body below her, paying attention to the stone embedded in the chakra point below the navel, rolling around it softly in the hopes it was more sensitive, she moved south again, pulling the miraculously still on pyjama pants and panties -black and tight she noticed in passing- away as she travelled, raven arched almost as soon as she reached her destination, but she would not let it stand, if this was it, a bad idea in the morning light, then by all the gods, that morning was going to find two very sweaty and loved out girls!

As she moved to more and more sensitive areas once again, her hands wrapped around, feeling ravens cheeks as she could, every inch of the girl was perfect, soft and warm, but firm just below the skin…

Both decided to see what could be done to fight the sandman almost together, if it was a mistake, they were going to make it as much as possible before getting caught.

-----

Robin sat at the table his second mug of coffee sitting in his grasp as he read the papers headlines, no sign of raven yet, must still be meditating on the roof… after last night it was understandable…

Still it was odd to have morning coffee without her dry teasing… a few minutes later Cyborg and Beastboy walked in, weirdly quiet they were talking about something, Beastboy suddenly turned and asked

"Robin could you hear that banging last night?! drove me nuts all night! and stainless here refuses to admit its even possible his tower makes any noise!!"

Cyborg looked offended by the very notion

"man, this is the best designed and maintained building on earth, quit your crazy talk, and eat some meat, it'll cure what ails ya!! That's what you heard, those T bones I picked up for dinner calling you 'eat me Beastboy, eat me!! Why do you hate us?!' "

robin laughed as the dark skinned titan rambled past him as the green skinned youth sunk into a chair and promptly fell asleep on the table… since there was no bacon left, Cyborg was busying himself with pancakes when Starfire floated in, a confused look on her face as she distractedly greeted all at the table, then floated off to get a morning cup of mustard from the fridge.

Raven and jinx wandered into the room together as Cyborg was beginning to serve, both were still wearing long pyjama bottoms, and dark t shirts, raven a tight fitted one, jinxes not quite baggy, but not tight. Starfire silent since she had seated herself looked oddly at jinx for a moment, then shrugged it off…

Beastboy woken by the pair seating themselves at the last two chairs, making three boys facing three girls, and the arrival of his breakfast, looked at the suddenly full table, "hey did anyone else hear those noises last night?! I mean, if raven wasn't too scary I would've thought we had a ghost!!" the two pale girls looked each other in the eyes, and glanced away quickly blushing slightly, unnoticed except by Starfire, who while watching the two answered Beastboy "no friend, I heard no noises, but your hearing is the best, it would not be unusual for me not to hear something you can…" she sniffed slightly… and looked at the blushing pair again, then at jinx's t shirt more sharply, and 'eeped' slightly looking ecstatic before controlling herself.

Throughout breakfast things stayed quite, until Starfire asked

"Raven, are you once again yourself? You were the most upset by friend jinx's story last night, have you recovered?"

her voice was neutral but that in itself was odd, raven was too busy forcing herself not to look at jinx and blush, or worse touch the girl again, to notice anything, let alone the suspicion rolling off the alien "ya star I'm fine we got together and worked out what was happening last night, it was my own fault, sorry guys…" she sounded so down that's Starfire instantly took her hand, mirrored by jinx on the other side causing another wave of suspicion; no friend, your powers are not a fault, perhaps we all should have been more mindful of you before allowing ourselves to dwell on such a subject…" the whole table murmured agreement, raven just blushed and muttered a thanks, seeing they were all finished she grabbed both pale girls wrists, and dragged them from the room, shouting "girl talk!!" as she ran, the others practically flapping behind the immensely strong royal.

Not stopping in the corridor Starfire ran to the closest room – hers before locking the door and whirling around, "you have become k'fra's?! This is wonderful news!! Why did you not announce it at the table? Do you not receive the congratulations on it in this world?" the two again met eyes for a moment, blushed furiously and denied everything in a confused babble. Starfire held her hands up, "perhaps I am saying this wrong, you made love yes? To my people you would be k'fra's – lovers I think is the word in your movies.

I can smell you both, each like the other, and Beastboy was hearing odd noises all night!! Such glorious stamina is publicly proclaimed on Tamaran, being able to do so is like owning a nice house, raising your status! Do not deny it, friend jinx dressed from your closet this morning yes?"

Both were open mouthed at this outburst of on the money detective skills and girlish glee, they simply blushed and nodded instinctively taking each others hand for support.

Raven broke the near silence that followed, "Starfire, yes, we were together last night, but please, we would appreciate you keeping it to yourself… I am in charge of Jinx's parole… it would be seen as a conflict, we have to keep to ourselves until we can get the parole sorted…."

A look of comprehension, followed by a blush ran across jinx's face; "OH! Your _in charge _of me!!! I get it now!!...ah-" her face fell "I said the quite part loud didn't I?"

Raven blushed slightly at the memory of the last coherent thing she had said the night before being mentioned of Starfire and nodded before touching jinx's face lightly "its ok Pinky, I forgive you…"

The tiny giggle from Starfire at the pet name, so unexpected from the stoic girl went over jinx's head for a moment, as she was relieved to be forgiven the slight insight into there bedroom, then her eyes snapped open "Pinky!!! PINKY!… for this I shall call you brain. Forever."

"I always wanted a sidekick… do I have to feed her now star?!"

The giggling was now uncontrollable as the alien found herself included in the friendly banter "oh yes friend raven, sidekicks are a large responsibility! You must train and discipline her! We would not want her on the furniture until she is trained!!" with that truly random statement she hugged the two and floated from the room.

As the door closed jinx stared after her… "She's either unhinged, or your sarcasm is infectious… but in other news…" she whipped round to face raven, the smile familiar from the many conflicts plastered onto her features

"Wanna do it on Starfires bed?! She wont mind I'm sure!" with a comical growl and a leap at raven she tried to pin the smirking empath, but raven moved, and hugged her from behind, unfairly in jinx's view she immobilised the pink haired girl with a soft kiss to the neck before speaking in her low private tone

"Sorry jinx, but that's just too weird for me… now come on Pinky, its time to take over the world…" hooking a finger through the collar of the other girls shirt she lightly dragged her from the room, unable to see the cutest pout jinx could muster, wasted on the empty bedroom.

As the girls rejoined the boys in stages, robin looked up from the paper he was glancing through carefully removing the stories of vigilantes in Gotham.

"Right, since we now have six people on hand, we can practice two-on-two, jinx it's a good way to get used to fighting with us, and raven doesn't have to fight solo anymore, I'll see you all in half an hour on the beach, maybe you guys will beat me and star this time?!" the last was delivered in a mocking tone as he sauntered toward the gym followed by Starfire.

Cyborg and Beastboy looked at each other both in uniform already, and shrugged, starting a new round of the shooting game they were playing. The two girls shook there heads at the sight before jinx spoke up

"You fight one on two in practice?! How is that fair?!" she sounded shocked the titans would gang up on her raven so regularly.

"eh, I get to pick where we fight, and I win my share… bird boy got lucky with a flash bang last time, and actually went and bought a trophy so him and star could carry it around the tower for days… he's going down this time, even if dumb and dumber win…" she actually looked annoyed at the memory of Starfire, robin riding on her shoulders waving a trophy passing through her mind, "come on I need to change, and you need some kind of uniform…"

The two left the boys to the T.V and wandered from the room.

Around a half hour later, four titans waited on a beach, the most distant point from their home on the island, and facing away from the city, raven and Starfires first one on one battle had removed all hope of further indoor training.

The two final members appeared in a black flash between the others, raven in uniform, jinx in a black tracksuit pants and t shirt that looked older than she was loose on her frame, her purple boots stuck out oddly, but she seemed happy to fight in the mish-mash of clothes.

Robin cleared his throat and glanced around the beach, "ok guys, two on two, winners fight the champs, BB, CY, your on that side" he gestured over his shoulder toward the hill behind him, "girls, your coming from the surf. Both teams signal when ready, and attack on my go." He nodded and let star carry him to a safe distance away from the field.

Cyborg looked at Beastboy and grinned "ok B, we need to go straight on the offence, Raven is too powerful to give her any time, I'll hit from range as we charge, you bull rush jinx, then switch to a double team with me before she's up, HIVE doesn't train 'em to watch each other, so she's weak on team plays", Beastboy nodded answering the taller youths grin with his own, both were very competitive, but worked together extremely well they signalled robin with a double thumbs up.

The two pale girls looked on impassively from the ankle deep water at the grinning boys, jinx turned and muttered "too quick for them to have an actual plan, their just going to bull rush and call it tactics." Raven nodded her agreement, "BB will charge you, he always opens with a heavy charge on any land locked opponents, I have a dirty trick ready for that; but you need to react fast and knock him to Cyborg when it happens, I'll cover us as they charge, so don't dodge too far from me" as they looked at each other both smirked. Boys were stupid. To signal there readiness both summoned up an aura of power, the water suddenly glowing with a streaked black and pink corona let robin know.

Over the comm's embedded throughout the island the boy wonders voice was heard

"3…"

Cyborg's hand changed to his cannon.

"2"

Beastboy morphed into a cheetah for the dash downhill

"1"

The girls touched fingertips briefly"

"Titans, GO!!"

The boys charged with there battle cries Cyborg's best football shout on his lips echoing the coughing roar of the big cat that quickly outdistanced him.

Cyborg ran slightly hunched, his old football coach would still be proud of the distance the former athlete could cover when he wanted, even if he was the "slow" titan. His targeting HUD flashed green as his rangefinder informed him both girls were in range of the cannon, his right arm aligned itself automatically according to the aiming controls built into his red eye, and it glowed briefly before blasting the length of the beach hitting raven full on, centre body mass! "damn" he muttered her black shield was fast, appearing to take the shot at the last second, then sprouting points and unleashing a hail of darts in counter, the gleaming titan dodged coolly, noting the shield was still up, so firing back was pointless at this range, he would have to batter the shield apart at point blank!!

Beastboy was optimistic, he was the fastest land animal on earth, and had beaten jinx before, he grinned as he straightened his weaving path directly at the relaxed girl pouring on the speed just before his shape blurred and a charging bull was suddenly thundering the last twenty feet to the sorceress!!

Rave grinned; Cyborg was focussed on her, viewing her as the main threat, so he automatically assumed the responsibility of attacking her himself, allowing her shield to defeat his first attacks, she sent a wave of darts to slow him, subtly driving him towards jinx and Beastboy in readiness for phase two. She felt rather than saw beast boys change, as he attempted to grind her lover under hoof she smiled "he needs to dress for the beach I think" the smirk on her face was vicious as she enacted her powers in three directions and dropped her shield.

'JINX, FIELD GOAL!!' thundered into her mind as the bull approached, she let a wave of hexes flow into the sand in front of her causing the bull to stumble at the last, just before it changed into a turtle, flying about a foot above the sand. She grinned as she instantly understood and followed the order, lashing the green reptile toward Cyborg like the worlds most confused football.

Raven grunted as she broke mental contact with jinx, instantly reaching inside Beastboy she flipped a switch she had noticed years before, turning him into a turtle, as her final act before dropping from the sky, the sand between the boys exploded, obscuring everything for a moment, she kept track of the minds before her, again seizing beast boys controls she morphed him into one of his favourite forms – a bull elephant - as he was about to pass by his team mate, the now huge green teen smashed his friend from his feet from a completely unexpected direction, and buried him under a half ton of emerald pachyderm, as the sand fell revealing the beach to the contestants once again.

Cyborg was closing in on ravens position, and tensing to jump as she swung around and gestured with both hands, sand billowed up blinding his human eyes painfully, his robotics replied by firing a series of blasts at her last known position, a weird bellow sounded from his left, causing him to half turn just before-

Smash.

Jinx watched the sand fall, Raven was nastier than she thought as an elephant came into view, sitting atop Cyborg blurring into Beastboy, who was looking around wildly his green eyes wide 'I thought she was only going to use Cy as a wall to knock BB out on… she's mean! I do love that in a lady…' the sorceress thought all this as she charged straight at the youthful shape shifter, blasting hexes that knocked him back, and caused him to slip on his partners shining exterior, moments before a kick from a purple boot to the gut knocked him, and his lunch, out of the fight.

Cyborg realised something was sitting on him just as it reformed into BB, who the stepped on Cyborg's head before flying out of the half buried titans view, replaced by a nice view of a tracksuit clad bottom, he surged to his feet grabbing the pink eyed sorceress, who was too busy laughing at Beastboy vomiting to watch herself, but found himself suddenly airborne. 'Crap, we gave Raven a minute to gather herself' was all that ran through his mind before a black shadow passed through his body gathering his prisoner, and after that he got a wonderful view of the beach as he flew out to sea.

Raven stepped from the shadow of her own making, her arms loosely around jinx's waist, her T-comm. floated to her face as it opened and dialled robin "we win" was all she managed in her best disinterested voice before hanging up, 'it wouldn't do to let robin see her smile too often after all.'

Robin and Starfire arrived on the beach a minute later, to watch jinx holding beast boy's shoulders as he dry retched on the sand, and raven retrieving a waterlogged Cyborg, who had been swimming back.

As they all came together Beastboy turned to raven, anger rolling off him so plainly even the others felt it

"You morphed me!!! Raven, you messed with my mind!!" his arms waved around, practically independent of the teen as he ranted, but he was cut off when raven waved her hand across his face. "Enough. You know I can do that BB, you have for a long time, and we have two Psychics out to get us, I have offered to show you how to strengthen your mind against intrusion, as I did for the others, and robin offered to show you the techniques he learned years ago if I make you uncomfortable.

If your too lazy to rid yourself of weaknesses, I wont allow you to fool yourself about it not mattering." All of this was delivered in her usual tone emotionless, but somehow intense. As the two glared at each other robin coughed, causing both to glare at him;

"She's right Beastboy, Psimon or the Brain could both figure that trick out, both are more powerful than raven, she's not a real psychic after all, and anyone with magical ability could learn to do it the way she did. With black magic."

The Green youth just glared all round, then flickered into a falcon and flew off home to sulk.

Jinx looked shocked at raven, both the dressing down and the manipulation of Beastboy were unexpected but there was one thing she thought stood out in that sentence

"You study black magic?? Where?! With who! Why didn't you tell me, I could have borrowed a few Grimoires!!"

Raven looked at her, the annoyance fading, "of course I can use black magic, I'm half demon after all, though I can use some healing spells, most of the actual magic I use is black. The thing that taught me most of it… betrayed me, after using me, and I bound it in the white book in my room.

You can borrow books, but only if you tell me which ones, some are in my room to stop people reading them, not for me to study."

Cyborg had been waiting politely through this, and at the break in talking stepped up, shaking both girls hands with a smile on his face "Ok gal's I can take a butt whooping fair and square, I was hoping you wouldn't work together… you two surprised me, but we'll be back!!!" he laughed slightly and wandered away. Jinx smiled to herself "it feels weird not to be the one shouting you haven't seen the last of us!!" Raven grinned and they stepped up to robin and Starfire, standing slightly closer to each other than was normal for raven, Robin noticed, but just assumed jinx was bad at personal space 'that wont help her get on with raven, she hates people touching her…'

"you two ready?, same thing when both teams give the go ahead I'll set the auto count, last team able to fight wins."

Robin looked at both faces before him looking for any objections, then turned and walked to the west of the beach, Starfire briefly hugged both girls, and whispered "wonderful victory friends, I am happy you work so well together!" before she flew off after robin.

The two girls sat on the sand, knowing that robins plan would have more steps than 'Charge and shoot' and that Starfire was a serious powerhouse in her own right.

Raven looked at jinx and smiled touching the other girls hand again now they were alone. "Nice job back there, I didn't think you could drop BB so quickly, anyway, you've probably been briefed on how to fight robin by the best, so this ones yours to call."

Jinx smiled at the praise and the decision to follow her lead – honestly, she hated taking orders, it was what lead her to lead the hive five.

"Ok, Robin is an all rounder, we know that, he's disciplined and aside from no flying has no obvious weakness, and star will probably carry him into close range immediately before climbing to a good height for a bombardment. I need you to back away immediately, and concentrate on fielding his opening barrage; it'll be a distraction, something like smoke or a flash-bang, as well as Starfires barrage on the way in.

I'm going to try and rope a dope Starfire, through robin, she's nuts about him right? Ok, but when it goes off, I need you to get me before she smears me halfway to the tower, then its a matter of blasting the smack talk out of whoever stands up"

She looked up, Ravens face had gone blank, not a good sign, "what are you going to do to enrage star?" only a tiny bit of curiosity made it into her voice, but jinx knew that meant she was dying to know

"You'll see, but I apologise now for what I must do" she said the last in a grave, serious voice that swore it didn't know the devious look in her eyes.

Raven just smiled back, and said "lets go, we'll see how angry I am when it works…"

Both teams waved at each other, then robin pushed a button on his comm. Starting the three count once more, this time no one moved as his voice rang out not giving away a thing.

"Titans, GO!"

At the signature cry all four sprang into action raven shooting into the air above and behind jinx, who summoned her hexes and crouched readying herself for the fight to come, her window would be small, but if it worked… she wanted that trophy."

As she had predicted, Robin leapt into the air on the mark, Starfire flew beneath him, becoming the boy wonders surfboard as the two sped towards their opponents

"Now star!!" was robins only warning he was about to act, he sprang from her back both hands flying to his belt as the redhead flew straight up, loosing a salvo at raven, trying to separate her from jinx, Robins hands flicked two disks toward jinx as he dived toward her, twisting to time his landing in front of her as the smoke bomb and flash bang detonated, his mask had filters to stop both from interfering with his fighting but the pink girl would lose seconds, and her range advantage.

As he straightened he saw a terrible sight, two familiar disks wrapped in ebony lightning, shooting upward, to Starfire.

Raven summoned a thick shield, she knew Starfire practiced at full strength and her star bolts were fast, she smiled as jinx's outline fit the opening moments of robins plan perfectly, the combined aerial charge splitting into two diversions, an attack at her and robins salvo at jinx, no bothering to worry about the 'bolts, her shield was in place, she seized the two projectiles as they left robins hand, and flung them at Starfire, who was focused at Raven, never looking down in her trust of robin to do his job she missed the first attack as it hit her in the chest,

Raven winced, flash bangs were nasty, but Star fire could shoot lasers from her eyes, so recovery wasn't going to take long, she pressed the attack, flinging fist sized rocks in a cloud from the waters edge toward the alien, as she emerged from the cloud of clinging smoke the second disk had produced. She wanted to look down, but know jinx would call her when she needed it and Starfire was too dangerous to be ignored.

Robin landed in front of jinx on the wrong foot immediately, she was supposed to be coughing and blind while he recovered, instead he was the one caught at a vulnerable moment, as he tucked and rolled a wave of pink energy rolled over him, he sprung to his feet landing in perfect balance with a shocked look on his face 'she must have missed! Nothings gone wrong' reaching back he withdrew his collapsible staff, spinning it as he extended the weapon and charged the grinning witch, tripping over it as the staff extended down, instead of up catching his knees; simultaneously a warning flashed on the small display mounted in his left lens "THEFT ALERT UTILITY BELT LOCKING DOWN" 'she hexed my equipment! Not me!! Idiot robin!! Should have seen it coming' as these thoughts ran through his head he straightened and discarded the now unreliable staff, taking his favourite jeet kun do stance, he would make Bruce Lee shed a tear of happiness at the perfect form 'why didn't she press while I was distracted? Arrogance? Does she want to win hand to hand?' he advanced to the girl who had matched him with a slightly odd stance, it struck him as kung fu, but meta humans never stuck to a style rigidly, 'only thing to do is attack and overwhelm' he decided, and charged.

Jinx was impressed, robin recovered from two surprises very quickly, and attacked cautiously, not letting his annoyance give her the opening she wanted.

She spun to avoid his opening jab, and leaned back mid motion to flow under a dangerous right roundhouse, she tumbled back bonelessly coming to her feet as she waved her fingertips from the sand to above her head, seeming to tear pink slashes in the air with each finger, the ten waves cracked out in an arc which robin leapt over, striking with a flying kick she barely avoided, the two combatants closed to within inches, each betting the other had less training at the vicious game of elbows head butts and knee's the distance lent itself too.

Starfire was grinning like a maniac, Raven was the finest training partner in the tower, her flight speed was great, and her unpredictable powers meant that no amount of planning could replace the approach of simply overcoming you enemy, that was the Tamaranian Way of fighting, and Starfire relished any opponent who forced her to utilise it so fully, Raven had assumed the form of a great black bird that flitted about the sky, never moving far from the beach, it was a large target, but Starfire know it was mostly shadows, only a small portion was solid enough to damage, but any portion could be used to swat her from the sky, currently her mind was occupied with the wave of small rocks animated by ravens power, she sent them in a blistering orbit of Starfire, forcing a great deal of manoeuvring from her, any attempt to charge raven resulted in a series of painful connections.

Raven Grinned inside the great bird formed of her soul, she rarely got to use her powers for this long or this inventively, Starfire was an excellent fighter and her skills were so long engrained that she actually thought very little about her actions, no plans formed or courses set, her instincts and training simply reacted to every situation, trying to get a hit in, it was the perfect way to fight an empath, even though she had star held at bay with a never ending barrage of rocks, she had the feeling it wouldn't last, and once she was free of that Ravens need to stay close to the beach would crucify her in an open aerial contest.

Just as that ran through her mind, she witnessed Starfire curl up, gathering her power, before she exploded in a huge flash of green energy, atomising the cluster of rocks hemming her in, she laughed as she realised that she was free to attack directly, and Raven winced 'any time jinx…'

On the ground, both fighters were looking worse for ware… robins superior skills were offset by jinx's powers and her enhanced metabolism meant that she benefited more from any break, both had scored hits, and been struck in return, sweat littered the sand in a large circle, testament to the amount of ground the acrobatic teens covered whilst they struck, danced and evaded.

Jinx kept her back to the fight in the sky, using her sense of ravens magic to orient herself;

Watching her opponent carefully as he stared at her in return, both were grinning between gasping for air. Suddenly a huge green flash etched the beach in an alien colour scheme, Robin, facing Starfire when she destroyed the rocks, flinched even as his mask filtered the harmful brightness. Jinx saw the Flinch and went into: plan hulk smash part one.

'RAVEN, MAKE STAR LOOK AT US, THEN PICK UP PRONTO!!' as she launched the thought to her floating girlfriend, she blasted robin in the legs with a hex, making him stumble into a bone crushing tackle, 'she's looking' came the reply from raven, along with a sense of urgency, part two it is!

Jinx pressed her whole body to robins, pinning him to the sand, before suspending her lips over his a fraction of an inch, and moaning with obvious pleasure.

The scream from above was as good as a tick next to part two in her checklist, now for part three, which took timing…. 'Rae pickup, but watch out for my fire!!' she sensed raven swooping low over the sand and spun off robin at the last second, firing at the charging Tamaranian, the hex hit square, the aliens face changed from pure fury to shock as she dropped, suddenly turning from guided missile to bouncing bomb!

Ravens shadow passed over the reclining pair, as it moved away over the sand robin found himself alone, and staring at a sky full of falling alien "crap!!" was all that could emerge before a huge cloud of sand announced Starfires return to Terra Firma, directly on Robin.

Ten feet from the crash raven tucked and rolled releasing jinx from her shadow mid air, trusting her to land right, both of the pale magical being spun to their feet facing the newest crater on the scarred beach, Raven squinted for a moment, then nodded "robins out, concussed, stars down but moving." Both moved again raven took to the air, about ten feet from the sand as jinx charged with her head down, unwilling to make friends with a star bolt.

Starfire shook her head… she was upside down on the beach, she had become so angry that she had lost the joy of flight, probably that last hex she decided, landing on her neck and shoulders to spare robin the worst of the contact had stunned her, but she was coming around, she rolled to her knee's, then stood shakily to a terrible sight.

Jinx's boots struck her soundly in the face, the pink haired girl had launched into a full length drop kick straight from pro wrestling at the sight of the recovering alien, she twisted her hands behind her head, landing on shoulders neck and fingertips, and flicked up to her feet again, facing a once more downed Starfire, who was quickly pinned to the ground by a black claw, which held both fists down, and her head pointed to sea.

Ravens voice rang out triumph clearly audible as she asked "do you yield Starfire?"

"… yes, you win…"

The black energy disappeared as raven landed softly a grin barely visible beneath the hood and sheen of sweat on her face. She hugged jinx from behind, a habit which she was fast becoming attached to, and whispered "great plan, and perfect timing Pinky" the use of the nickname was softened with a small kiss just below the ear before she moved off, leaving her partner to sink down in the soft comfy sand, and catch her breath.

Raven helped Starfire to her feet, and smiled at the wave of emotions she felt, Star was delighted to have a real workout, but hated losing in anything and was still upset with jinx. Nevertheless, Starfire hugged Raven briefly and laughed "wonderful victory friends, I did not expect to be the target of robin's weapons!"

'tell her jinx' was the mental command, beamed across as the alien bent down to hug the pink haired girl, who was still sitting by robins sleeping form.

'ok, ok, I was going to you know' she replied in her mind, "Starfire, don't worry, I didn't kiss him, or even touch him anywhere I wouldn't punch – it was a distraction to make you charge, I know your crazy about him, and I have someone all to myself, no need to poach yours!!"

The whole sentence was whispered directly into the red haired girl's ears, jinx wasn't sure if robin was conscious and didn't want him eavesdropping, and was to damn tired for talking anyway.

Starfires eyes widened when jinx said she knew, but she smiled and thanked the girl still in her arms for the consideration of telling her, she turned to gather up robin, but raven was holding his head teeth gritted as a white aura surrounded her hands, she ran them from his forehead back through his hair, and down his neck, finishing by spreading his hands over his collar bones and down his ribs.

She sat back and looked up at the two girls "he was concussed and would have been sore for days if that was all I healed… you two need anything healed as I'm doing it?"

Jinx mutely held out her right elbow, and let foot, wobbling slightly as she extended both from her seated form. Raven nodded, and floated over, too lazy now to stand and briefly touched both, smiling at the relief etched onto the pretty girls face when she finished "star, want me to sort you out? I can feel your hurt"

"oh no friend raven you are tired and my neck is just sore, I will allow you to rest and ask again if it still pains me…" the alien smiled but it was obvious from how she held herself her back or neck was sore.

"It's ok Star, it doesn't tire me that much, and I'm fit for bed now so I'd rather do it and sleep then leave you hurt all night because you don't want to wake me…"

She reached out, again floating and slowly ran her hands from the base of Starfires spine up her back and across her shoulder blades, finishing by rubbing along the neck to the base of the skull and the ears, her hands buried to the wrist in the blood red mane of hair. The alien stretched out to her fullest, and grinned hugely, ravens healing never ceased to amaze her, the shy girl would be held in the highest regard on Tamaran, healers were regarded as near nobility in her home.

She hugged the tired empath again, and then slung the now sleeping peacefully robin over her shoulder like a sack of presents at Christmas and flew slowly to the tower.

Jinx glanced up at her lover, who was floating silently, a yawn stretching her features and making her look cuter than she knew, she was also outlined in black slightly, a fact that worried jinx.

"amm Rae, why are you glowing black? And, if its black, how is it still a glow?"

Raven looked at her hands and shrugged, its nothing just my soul self, I guess missing my morning meditation and kata's combined with the exercise last night and this morning just loosened my control a bit, nothing dangerous don't worry… I normally use the morning to bring my body and mind together, but somebody was doing naughty things to me and I forgot" she said the last with a tired smile in her girls direction, come on – if it wants out I may as well put it too use, I'll get us back…the black swelled then blinked out, leaving a scarred but empty beach in its wake.

The corridor between their rooms went pitch black for a moment, then normality resumed, with two tired girls leaning against each other, both happy for the contact, as well as the opportunity not to support her own weight. Raven turned and kissed jinx softly, "go on have a shower Pinky, then try on that swimsuit you bought, theirs a hot tub in the gym, behind the pool, I'll see you there." She smiled fondly and walked to her room, vanishing inside, after a moment jinx could faintly make out a shower starting.

She touched her lip where the last kiss had landed then grinned her Cheshire Grin as she spun and humming to herself walked to her own shower, she would have to dig through her shopping bags to find that suit, she never got around to unpacking strangely.

Beastboy lay on his stomach in the water, his chin resting on his arms folded on the ground at the side of the sunken hot tub, lost in his own thoughts as the hot water worked on his sore chest and stomach. The dark warm room and his own lack of sleep were lulling the boy further into a dazed state as he mulled over ravens vicious words earlier

'no… they weren't vicious… she's worried about me, and being raven, has to show me why instead of saying it… still, using me as a cannon ball was a bit rich..'

His thoughts evaporated as the heat lulled him into a light sleep.

Jinx met raven in the Gym, practically running through the cool room, she hadn't bought a dressing gown, and the pink and black two piece wasn't very warm. Raven was ahead of her; only the lack of sleeves distinguished this costume from her leotard, she carried two of the dark red towels under her arm and she sauntered to the pool room, ignore the cold as she always had to. She smiled as a pair of pale arms encircled her and a greeting was murmured into her hair as jinx embraced her from behind, she had not realised she was there, Raven was tired and feeling lazy, her senses were for the moment the same five as everyone else's…

"Hey Brain, what we going doing tonight?" she could hear the mirth in jinx's voice and the hands rubbing her stomach suggestively would have been a clue to the girl's intentions.

"same thing we do every night Pinky" she deadpanned, turning in jinx's arms to face her as she walked backwards through the door, she leaned in, seeming to carelessly press her body to jinx's finishing in a throaty whisper

"a good book and eight hours sleep" she winked and laughed at the mock annoyance running across her lovers features.

Sorry jinx, you're just too easy… I couldn't resist… I will have to do a bit of meditation tonight if I don't want my soul self wandering off in the night though…" she finished her sentence by wrapping her arms about jinx's shoulders and kissing her soundly on the mouth before turning to lead her by the hand to the tub.

Beastboy woke slightly, coming to the dazed state that talks to alarm clocks at seven am, then he heard a laugh ring out, shockingly close, normally people never got to sneak up on him, between his hearing and sense of smell. He managed to turn over in the water slowly, sinking down to his shoulders as he looked for the source of the noise.

He very nearly drowned in the first moment, from the sight of two girls so close to each other, wearing so very little… then raven leaned in and… 'No freakin' way… no freaking way!!' 'Sweet' was all his brain could manage before he realised he had slipped under the water in his shock he took a mouthful of hot water and surfaced spluttering and coughing.

Both girls froze, they had assumed the room was empty, because the lights were off, and because both really wanted to be alone together in a hot tub. On ravens list of people she would liked to have been present, to have seen her French kiss a near nude girl, Slade and her mother both actually ranked above the green idiot rising like the missing link from the tub "BB?!"

The pool behind them detonated as if someone had just cannon-balled into the centre, luckily raven was tired, and there was very little power for her emotions to flail about with, so control was established quickly. Unfortunately jinx was between raven and the pool and received the double shock of a wet boom, and a back full of icy water, she yelped girlishly and jumped, knocking both normally graceful girls full length into the hot tub.


	4. Confessions

Chapter three: Confessions.

Beastboy was just as confused now that he was able to breath, he had just seen two girls fool around, maybe thinking they were alone, then Jinx pushed Raven practically into his lap!! 'Wow, the girls must want company or something! I knew Rae was into me! Jinx is a surprise though' as they surfaced spluttering and laughing from the water, the boy forgotten in the embarrassment for the moment, jinx stuttered a red faced apology, which raven waved off smiling "its ok Pinky I was trying to get you in here anyway" her memory seemed to catch up and she whirled in the water, tearing her eyes from the sight of Jinx adjusting her small pink and black pinstripe top to find a leering Beastboy looking over her shoulder, captivated by it as well, until his sense of self preservation steered his eyes to meet Ravens glare.

"What are you doing in here with the lights off BB?! Were you waiting to catch me or star changing or something?!" Beastboy's eyes narrowed, Raven always became verbally aggressive and accusing when she got caught doing something embarrassing, so he just answered her in a calm sensible tone "no Rae, the lights are on a timer, they turned off while I was in here, I guess I fell asleep a while ago… you guys worked me hard today and I didn't sleep with those weird noises last night… otherwise I would have said hello or something when I heard you…"

'Damn, he's being sensible, I was really hoping I could provoke him so he'd bugger off… now he decides to turn into robin…'

"So… you girls didn't come down to find me then?" he laughed nervously and put one hand behind his head scratching without realising it.

Jinx looked at him as she drew level with rave in the shallow portion of the tub, which was more like a physiotherapy bath, about seven feet wide and ten long, the first three feet were only hip height, the rest was much deeper with seats lining the sides, then what he thought was about to happen clicked in her mind and she burst out laughing "Rae- Rae seriously, you gotta check this boys rooms for cheesy porno! He thinks we're here to make him into beast-_man_!!! Together!! … BB, you're priceless!"

Raven started laughing at the bright red colour seeming to spread from the waters surface all the way to his face, and she realised jinx was bang on target. "Sorry BB, its mean to laugh, and I know you can't help thinking that way, but still… I mean… seriously… _really_??"

The Red faced boy started to laugh himself and just nodded shamefaced sending the two girls into more flights of laughter, both were now leaning against the edge holding their sides as he cleared his throat

"So, that's… a no?"

at this hopeful question jinx whooped and fell over splashing the other two, and from the bubbles was still laughing as she surfaced "BB, I play on entirely the other team – Starfire has a better shot, pity though if you were Beast-Girl I might explore the whole shape-shifting thing!, I mean that has to be fun…"

She seemed to gather herself and looked at Raven

"Rae we have four housemates, it's not right to keep secrets, especially ones that aren't anything to be ashamed about… we should tell the others. They stand to catch any fallout same as us, so they deserve to be in on the gag."

Raven looked her in the eyes, and then just nodded "we'll tell them at lunch, it's only an hour away after all, and its Beastboys turn to cook…" she looked at the green teen a serious light once again in her eyes

"BB, me and Jinx like each other. A lot, and yes before you ask, like as in girl-girl like. Since I'm technically her parole officer it could cause trouble. Don't worry as jinx said, we'll say it, so we won't ask you to keep the secret for more than an hour" she could feel understanding and disappointment from him, she had been aware of his crush, but it no-one had ever managed to interest her before so she had not acted on it.

He looked so lost standing waist deep in the water that both girls hugged him impulsively, cheering him up immensely -he is sixteen after all- and he smiled "ok I'll keep quiet until you talk about it… hope you guys have fun! Now if you'll excuse me I have to go cook before Cy can sneak bacon into the tofu." He waded out quickly and waved slightly before shifting to a beagle and shaking himself dry, padding from the room with his tongue hanging out as the door closed.

The door opened slightly and his voice carried back to the tub; the unseen smile obvious from his tone "and remember, we all have to use that tub! Keep it PG!"

Jinx laughed at his parting shot and hugged raven as she moved past to the deep end, settling into a scooped out seat with a contented sigh, the hot water working wonders on her sore muscles. She held out her hands mutely to her new partner eyes half closed as she relaxed, raven moved over to her and sank slowly into the grey skinned girls lap, encircled in her arms raven sighed and snuggled in yawning again as the black energy of her soul self floated out along the waters surface fitfully highlighting the whole pool and both of its occupants in flickering dark lines.

They stayed settled comfortably like that for perhaps quarter of an hour simply enjoying the warmth and the dark closeness, before raven stirred and stood, drawing a moan of disappointment from jinx who was mostly asleep. One pink eye opened lazily, tracking the purple hair as it moved down to the far end at the deepest part of the pool and curiosity opened both eyes as she noticed raven pushing a button on a recessed panel, a section of the floor rose up to just under the surface, this finally stirred jinx to motion, for all the world it seemed to a massage table, in a hot tub? She looked at raven one eyebrow arched.

'Hop up and lie down, put your head on the pillow' the thought carried a feeling of reassurance and didn't disturb the peace of the room. Jinx followed orders, laying out on the table slowly, it was an odd design, tilted slightly it meant than even face down her mouth and nose were above the water, but her shoulders were being lapped gently by the waves Ravens movement caused, from her waist down was just under the surface.

Slowly a light touch began to register along the length of her spine Raven was floating above her in a pose inspired by the Cheshire cat, seemingly reclined on an invisible tree branch, one hand curled under her head pillowing it, the other trailed underneath her, cutting the bank of steam over the surface to trail along jinx's back. Slowly, she began to work more firmly working her warm hands down the wet grey skin below her in a muscle melting massage, it wasn't very sensuous, but it was what her tired muscles needed to a Tea as it worked out kinks she hadn't realised she had in her back and shoulders. For an unknown length of time the seemingly phantom hands worked from the air, relaxing jinx from the soles of her feet to her scalp. Somewhere in between the two she fell into a sleep of perfect contentment…

She was woken by a soft kiss fro a smiling raven, now in the pool before her, who nudged her and muttered "my turn" into jinx's ear with the slightest brush of lips on skin.

A small smile on her face, jinx rolled off and allowed raven to lie down, she simply climbed the table and straddled the empaths waist, and began to return the favour, again more of an actual massage to help with tired and tense muscles than slow four play she worked past the point where raven had drifted off into a nap, only stopping when a beeping noise sounded through the comforting silence followed by Beastboys voice "lunch in ten you guys"

she smiled, the little guy was more observant than she credited, he knew they wouldn't keep track of time… waking raven by lifting her against her chest and carrying her out of the pool, she softly kissed her and turned to find the towels.

As they dried themselves with small contented smiles on both faces, jinx realised a small flaw. "Rae, neither of us has clothes or dressing gowns. What's the plan, wrap in towel and hope, or bare-face run to the rooms?"

Raven smiled wider and turned to the shadows beside the bench that held the towels, driving her hands into it up to the elbow jinx realised this was the trick she pulled with her cloak in the mall.

After a moment of rummaging around raven withdrew both arms from the rippling shadow, two of her cloaks in her hands. She tossed one to jinx, who was wrapped in just enough towel for decency. "Here, I'm too relaxed to bother with teleporting, and I don't own a dressing gown…

Both simply wrapped themselves in towels, and carrying their swim gear, wrapped in identical cloaks they set off to the living quarters walking side by side.

As they walked past the junction that split into the corridor to their rooms and everyone else's footsteps could be heard, raven hurried around the corner, but jinx flicked up the hood and stepped back into the shadows, her grin visible in the shadows as she lurked.

Robin strode down to the living room; he was hungry after his morning and was even looking forward to the vegetarian lunch he was about to recie-

BOO!!!

A cloaked figure leapt from the shadows glowing eyes visible under the blue hood

Robin jumped quickly to one side on instinct, neatly beaning himself on the wall as he did. Suddenly a high pitched giggle burst into a full throated bond villain laugh as the cloaked figure came into the light and dropped the hood. Jinx winked at the boy wonder and wandered away still laughing

His face slightly red at managing to jump into a wall in his own house, he knew she was going to get worse than he did, the cloak meant she had gone into raven's room and touched her stuff!

A few minutes later jinx wandered into the living room, the last to arrive, she once again wore her blood red jeans and psychedelic pink and white t shirt, barefoot now she padded to the breakfast bar and looked around, 'gangs all here, guys we should get it over with' looking at raven, she walked over to the nervous looking empath, and sitting next to her, she took her left hand in one her own under the table.

Raven cleared her throat as they all sat in front of the stir fry Beastboy had prepared

"Guys, can I talk to you for a moment?"

The whole table quieted, twice in as many days raven had started conversations, if she hadn't already done it, this would be a sign of the apocalypse.

Robin as always answered for the table, "Sure Raven, we're all ears you know that"

This completely failed to reassure raven, who was now squeezing jinx's hand under the table.

"It's about Jinx. First, do any of you doubt that she is reformed, or think of this parole as anything other than a way of proving that to the city?"

The whole table again looked at each other, and then at the two girls at the end of the table, Beastboy smiled encouragingly as he spoke.

"No Raven, we all think Jinx is good, she would have been set for life if she did the easy thing and sided with the brotherhood, and she didn't even resist arrest when the police caught up to her up north." Everyone, even robin nodded at his calm words speaking up with their agreement.

Raven and jinx relaxed visibly, and drew their hands onto the table, no one failed to notice they were holding each other.

"Last night, well last night we realised we care for each other. Seriously, and our first instinct was to keep it to ourselves, but jinx" raven broke off momentarily to smile into the girls pink eyes "jinx convinced me to tell you, we owe you the truth."

Starfire was grinning hugely and hugged Cyborg fiercely, someone was getting hugged and robin wasn't in arms reach.

The Boy wonder coughed and spoke again softly

"Ok Rae, we're happy you found someone, I know you weren't sure if you could… but your right, this could get Jinx reassigned to another officer, or just locked back up, so you two can only act that way inside the tower. You realise that?"

Both girls nodded and smiled.

"Ok, Jinx, the easiest way for you to be able to hug your girlfriend in public this year, or the next, is to become very obviously and publicly, a good guy. I want you to join the team rather than just live hear and practice with us, I'll expect you to suit up and help us, and then we shove your good deeds down the department of corrections mouth to get your early release sorted out. Even after that, would you consider staying with us?"

Ravens eyes narrowed, even when giving them what they wanted, needed, Robin had managed to back Jinx into becoming a superhero, or jail. Sometimes she wondered how closely Batman resembled Slade, because his lessons seemed to reflect the mad-mans very closely.

Jinx just smiled at him with gratitude in her eyes "yes I know all that, I will join, and I'll take down anything you point at until I'm free to join as a willing member, after that I'm sticking around so you'll all be locked in here with me!!"

The tension surrounding the table relaxed at the small joke, and a laugh sprung up then Starfire stood for some reason, this always made raven nervous, gods only knew what she would declare at times like these…

The red head, still smiling hugely came around the table hugging both girls as they sat, then in a loud clear voice, suited for proclamations from the royal balcony

"allow me to be the first to congratulate you both, on finding a K'fra with such Great stamina, from Friend beastboys story this morning, you should both be proud!!" speech finished she hugged both girls again, unaware that both had gone ramrod straight at the alien word with wide eyes as they both guessed how she would finish the sentence.

The three boys looked at each other in confusion, Cyborg spoke first, BB's story? You mean those noises that… kept… him… all night??!!"

Now all three boys locked their eyes on the couple, Raven blushed furiously as she felt each of them jump to the right conclusion, jinx went even more pink, then just burst out laughing. She stood and hugged Starfire back, "thank you Starfire, yes I am proud of my K'fra, who knew a healer had that stamina?!" Raven was now attempting to stop time once again, or failing that melt. Unfortunately it seemed that embarrassment was too confusing an emotion to activate her power, and she couldn't think straight to do it herself.

It worked however, all three of the young men were so embarrassed at jinx's boast that they quickly looked away blushing into the bowls on the table.

"Hey!!!! Great stir fry salad head! it's a really safe subject!- I mean, tasty! Really tasty!"

If Cyborg was willing to admit to liking something with no meat, everyone knew it was time to change subject and the table of teens quietly began to eat, no-one watching the two girls at the end hug and smile at each other before they began to eat as well.

After the most intensely quiet meal ever endured, the young couple offered to clean the dishes, letting the others move off to a respectable gossiping distance, moving into the kitchen, both held a tray of bowls and cutlery.

When they were in the relative privacy of the kitchen, jinx planted a small kiss on ravens lips, "just 'cause I can" both smiled at the affection and began to clean off the dishes small talk keeping them busy as their hands work on automatic, washing the dishes out before adding them to the breakfast pile in the dishwasher, raven hit the on button when they finished raven glanced at her, "I really do have to go now and get some meditation done, otherwise I wont be much good later on, I'll be back in about an hour, I'm in my room if you really need anything. Oh, before I go, I'd say you might want to sit down with robin and sort out the info he needs, I'm making my first report tomorrow and that info might come in handy, plus it'll help settle him and sae the rest of us from combat practice for a few hours."

Jinx winced at the thought of more practice, and nodded a grin spread across her face as she moved away saying "its true, wouldn't do for you to end up back in that hot tub now would it? Neither of us have clean bathing suits…" Raven stood in the kitchen lost in her thoughts, and then shook herself before moving off to her own room.

As she swept into the familiar dimness she settled into the seated floating stance she always used, no contact meant less distractions, and that she didn't cramp from sitting on a cold floor for hours. Sighing she let out all of her breath, drawing in new air to fill her lungs completely and again releasing it she stilled, not breathing for a moment, the perfect stillness brought her heartbeat to her attention the slow drumbeat was a familiar companion, and one of the components of her setting that let her slip into a deep trance.

Only one so used to true meditation could enter this state so quickly, using only darkness and her own heartbeat for comfort and focus.

The room now completely still for almost a minute was disturbed by a slow intake of breath and the beginning of a murmured chant…

Azarath… Metrion… Zinthos….

The blackness slowly took on life, and moved to embrace to young girl in the centre of the room.

Jinx and Robin sat in a large room, set off the living room, one whole wall was illuminated, coated in paper maps and oddly several versions of the same mask, black and orange, some burnt and broken, one whole and perfect, and other memorabilia reminding robin of Slade. In the shadows swamping the back of the room a suit stood in a glass case, the same colours again, black and orange with steel settings, and the stylised S marking the chest. With a start jinx made out the mask suspended above it and looked at robin sharply

"You worked for Slade?! Or were you dumb enough to put on his livery without his say so"

Robin winced, he forgot about her eyes, most people couldn't see the suit, it seemed to wrap itself in the darkness naturally.

"I was his chosen apprentice; he was going to kill the team unless I worked for him. I keep the suit to remind myself of how driven he is, and how much I have to learn from him. I really was an apprentice to his master. One day I'll find him, and stop him for good, but I need to get a lot better before I can be sure he'll stay stopped."

Jinx looked at him again, and nodded

"I met him, once. He is a very, very scary man. I've met gibbering lunatics, scum and professional murderers, and just by stepping from shadows I knew were empty when I walked through them, he scared me more than any of them.

I've never even seen him fight, I'd rather not. The HIVE Intel had even money on him being involved in some kind of super soldier experiment way back, but either it's the wrong Slade, or he's erased all his tracks perfectly."

Robin looked intrigued he never thought of digging up info from other villains like the HIVE, and no other heroes knew anything about him.

'Not important right now, get the info on Jinx first. Focus on the mission in front of you Robin' as always when he berated himself, his mental voice was that of a much older man, deep and intimidating.

He took a breath and looked away from the wall of Slade sightings toward the pretty young girl opposite him.

"Ok Jinx, this is my study, normally its locked, but it's the most secure and bug free place in the city, I thought it was the right place for you to talk about yourself, I can guarantee that nothing on earth can hear you in here except me. All of your information will go into your secure file, only I and raven will have access to it, when you're a full member, you'll get a code, and she'll lose hers. I'll let you look over and ok everything before we leave, but I'll tell you now, I will be adding a report of my own conclusions that you will never see. It's just for the whole parole/probation thing and will be destroyed when we're done. Is all that ok?"

She nodded looking apprehensive "could I get a drink or something I'd rather do this without a break in the middle" he smiled understandingly and stood, walking into the shadows, the lights in the rear of the room came up showing a series of cabinets and shelves covered in forensic equipment and electronic tools, and a very nice professional looking coffee maker. Smiling over his shoulder he nodded it at it and turned back when she gave him a thumbs up and a grin. "I had to smuggle this into the tower in parts, took a week! The others stole all of my coffee one day, said I had a problem, but I think it helps me concentrate, so I got my own machine…"

During this he busied himself, looking very competent as he coaxed two cups of dark strong coffee from the machine, "sorry there's no milk or sugar in here, I don't use them."

He sat with his mug in hand, she noticed both mugs were huge, and emblazoned with a black bat on a yellow oval, he spoke again "of course the silver lining was I could get a machine that Beastboy would normally break inside a day because he can't get in here…"

She laughed at the sudden image of the green boy trying to insert a video game into the apparatus in the corner, and took a deep drink, it was delicious, and completely foreign to her "what blend is this?! It's gorgeous!" as a small muscle under her eye ticked robin laughed "it's Poison Ivy's own blend, we seized several samples of the weird little plant thing she'd made to produce it, like nothing you've ever seen" he separated his hands about a foot apart as he spoke, "but they give three or four harvests a year and the stuff has enough caffeine to make the titanic run back to Belfast harbour. Not that caffeine affects me of course." She looked closely at his face, the tick had started there too "of course, you're completely immune to it…" she replied dryly wondering if the boy ever slept, or if her just swam in this stuff till the urge went away.

"Right, ready when you are Robin" he nodded and picked up a small PDA, again with the bat symbol on it and gestured for her to begin.

Her hands tensed, then relaxed 'here goes'

"Ok… we'll start as far back as I can. As far as I'm aware, I was born Meta gene active, I was always this colouration, with these eyes, though the hexing wasn't till later.

Before you ask I have no idea what my real name is. Or even if I was ever given one. I grew up in the H.A.E.Y.P. the hive academy for extraordinary young people. Best guess I was either abandoned and found, or sold as a baby to a talent scout due to my looks.

They analysed my powers when I was a baby, and I grew up as jinx. I have no birth cert, or ideas about my family or even country of origin, I grew up HIVE through and through.

Headmistress raised me, and about ten others in the main facility, like a big evil family, we were taught that within a mission you watched out for the HIVE first, yourself second and your team if you felt like it. Off duty we were played off against each other, Darwin would have been proud of the simplicity, survival of the fittest was built in from the age of about five; the strongest got the best toys at Christmas, a nicer bed, better food, that kind of thing. I was always very lucky, or at least everyone I competed against was very unlucky, wasn't till I was around eight before I could focus a hex blast.

We learned the normal stuff, after all we had to be capable of human interaction for long periods, so history in general, lots of science and maths, literature to an extent, we had to be intelligent, but they didn't want free thinkers…

Obviously combat training was also a big part; from very young we practiced martial arts, and covert takedowns, that kind of thing. Some of us were taught other stuff, I was marked early for advanced training in breaking and entering, cell leadership which was planning making demands, threats stuff like that properly and finally a few years ago when I hit puberty I got my hands on spell books. I loved magic, seriously it allowed me to use a whole new series of senses, see things no one else could see, hear things no one else could hear… It was the first freedom I ever had"

She stopped for a moment, remembering that feeling of being in control for the very first time, even if it was only such a small thing as the HIVE not dictating what she saw anymore. A tear welled up and ran down to meet the half smile the bittersweet memory caused.

"You have no idea how that felt. I had never so much as chosen my own clothes. What I was exposed to, who I met how they interacted with me was all set in a big lesson plan somewhere to build the best little terrorist they could, detached, capable of organising all the old songs, kidnapping breaking and entering, bombing runs and random threats and unannounced attacks. And I knew it. Suddenly, I could sense more than those around me, I had information they didn't control and censor! Sure they provided the spell books, but couldn't control what I did with the knowledge! I became a person. Not a living weapon.

At first I never thought of leaving, but slowly… it was less and less meaningful I was going to strike out on my own, but Blood found us and bound us all to the school more tightly… a lot of stuff stayed the same, but I lost the little freedoms, suddenly big brother was able to see into my head. Did you ever read that book? Its so sad to me… all about a man who realised how everything was designed to rob him of everything, love, friends, thought… his humanity… and when it catches up to him, the system is so huge… so effective…

It wins… it ends with him crying, broken because he realises that he loves his government, even knowing it exists solely to fuck him. He loves big Brother.

That was brother blood and me.

He knew what I thought, and he bound my mind, turned me back into a knife in his hands, a tool for Big Brother that knew it was doing evil things, but the system was so strong it was even in my mind, telling me to obey, follow orders. You love big brother.

And… I listened…"

She broke at this, floods of tears hunching her over to where Robin abandoned his professional act and just hugged her, stroking her hair as she cried on his shoulder.

Many minutes later, she seemed to gather her thoughts, rubbing her face dry, and scrubbing her eyes dry a determined expression replacing the vulnerability that was there moments before.

"When we got out of that… I could only break the hold on me and the guys around me, the HIVE five they decided to call the six of us… we clung to each other after blood vanished and the academy fell apart, a year before we would have separated and never looked back, but that bastard succeeded in binding us together, just with shared hatred and nightmares. We all slept in the same room for three months… we were terrified he'd catch us alone and that would be that…

When the news arrived through the old graduates network of his capture…

My old thoughts of leaving it all surfaced… first I thought the Brotherhood were the way out, the big leagues you know? Madam Rouge was a kind of role model for the girls in the HIVE, one of the first and nastiest female Meta's that surfaced in hired terrorism…

Kind of an evil suffragette I guess.

Anyway, you know the story, kid flash's constant pestering wore me down to the stage where I say what kind of twisted bitch the life had turned her into… and decided screw it, not for me. I was out."

She smiled again; it was a lone good memory in a bad time, finding herself again.

"Flashy and me travelled a while, but the little hornball eventually decided we were destined to be man and wife, which he neglected to mention to me, we had fun, stopped the occasional idiot, mostly I just enjoyed life without pressure…

Then a few miles north of jump the idiot proposed.

Seriously, no ring, and let me tell you, it's important! Just a moron on bended knee professing his love!! How he was now sure I had turned over a new leaf and could renounce my evil and independent ways and settle down, pop out a few speedsters.

Not really the thing to spring on a lesbian with some of the same emotion issues as Raven. Not as bad but a real shock or pain can make stuff slip.

This boy who never s much as got a kiss from me, except the ones he started at super speed, well that shocked me enough! The room caved in on us both, which was embarrassing enough, but the hops up and starts crying and hollering about how I'm an evil woman who had lead him on and attacked him at his weakest! I mean I had seen this guy sleep! Prepared him food! I know how t brew more poisons than most hospitals can reliably treat, and that's without cracking a spell book!

Bastard legged it, left me sitting on a pile of rubble, formerly the hotel hut I was renting, with all my worldly goods buried underneath, being ruined by the leaking water pipes…

Sirens came into sight, I was just going to say screw it right then, and I'm not ashamed to admit it… I was going to kick the crap out of those hick police on the off chance the universe would feel some of it and get my point, but my control was so frazzled I knew I'd kill them all. So I sat there, watched everything I'd scraped together buried under rock and water, and let them put me in the paddy wagon. Even informed them that the local jail couldn't hold me, and to transfer me to jump."

"You know the rest."

She stood, and walked to the back of the room, filling her empty mug with more of the strange coffee; she drained it in one huge series of gulps and refilled it.

"Oh and Robin? Think of a good lie for when Raven demands to know why I'm hopped up on caffeine like a six year old at a birthday party – I can't handle the stuff at all!!!" tossing the again empty mug to the boy wonder she ran from the room cackling.

Robin smiled and shook his head, all that and she was still fairly normal… well by his standards. He heard the locks engage, and turned to write his own entry to the file.

The door opened behind him, and the shock of twitchy pink hair and eyes popped back into the room at waist height. "psst! Hey!! Robby!! Your locks suck!! We're going shopping for new ones tomorrow! Never ask a good guy to recommend security, what the hell would he know?!"

Part said the head vanished again the door closing behind her. Robin stared at it. He hadn't been able to pick it. Frowning he pushed a chair under the handle and moved back to his desk.

Raven touched down slowly, the few moments after serious meditation were always very comfortable, while she was still at peace with herself, and the world had yet to annoy her.

She stretched pleased at the limber feeling 'Jinx is getting stuck with many more massages… she's very good…' ravens eyes drifted to the inner wall of her room across the corridor she could feel the object of her affection in her room, actually, she could feel her very strongly…. Strange…

She walked out, and knocked at jinx's door softly, music could just be heard around the soundproofed door. The knock went completely unnoticed so raven just opened the door and went in. the music was so loud it actually moved the hood back from her face, not only was it loud it was cheesy! A pink blur shot past through the air, the room was a mess, all the furniture was pushed into the middle of the room and the bed was a mess, even the heavy mattress was off centre on the base, the walls were being painted in time to the power ballad blaring on what looked to be Cyborg's stereo under a blanket, suddenly the blur halted in front of raven.

The huge, manic grin was hard to look away from, but the constant twitch in the left eye was worrying. Cute, but worrying. "heyRaeiFoundMysteryPaintInTheBasementSoi'mDoingMyRoomIsn'tItGreat?!!!

andCyHasThisCoolStereo!!! It's on seven, but goes to fifteen!!! Wanna see?!"

"No!"

Raven frantically intercepted the hyped up jinx before she could crank up the music, T-rex was only meant to be played so loud in her opinion, and this was a bit past it.

The pink girl was now singing into a paintbrush, and jumping on the bed, making up for not knowing the song by singing "nahnahnahNAH Mystery Paint!!" Loudly in time with the music.

"Jinx, what happened to you?"

"Robin gave me coffee!!"

"Gods, this is you on caffeine?!!"

"Well…" the pink eyed girl looked like a guilty four year old "about two litres of coffee some Gotham super villain made its good stuff!!"

And Cyborg let you borrow his stereo? He loves that stereo! He named it for god's sake!"

"well… he didn't lock his room hardly at all… so that's the same right?!" the grin now was that of a _bold_ four year old apparently guilt couldn't keep up… raven just put her head in her hands and sat on the bed laughing to herself…

The doorway was suddenly filled with metal, as Cyborg ran full tilt into the room "Marlene!! I thought you were taken!! Who put this blanket on Marlene?!"

Both girls stopped. "Your stereo is named Marlene?" raven considered that better blackmail then finding out Beastboy was called Garfield.

Cyborg realised what he had just admitted, and simply seized the stereo and huffed his way out of the room.

Raven looked up at the girl standing on the bed, practically vibrating with caffeine, trying to pry the bottom off the tin of paint with her fingernails, face screwed up in effort her tongue was sticking out the corner of her mouth she didn't even notice raven leave quietly or re-enter with a cell phone pointed.

CLICK

Whuwassthat?!

Raven tossed the phone under her cloak quickly, that photo would be worth a lot

Someday… "Nothing dear… want to go for a walk?"

"Sure!

Jinx tossed the unopenable can over her shoulder and shot from the room, dragging raven by the hand"

Starfire was hungry, and it was a long time until dinner, so she was rummaging through the fridge when the doors of the living room opened again, the sweet tempered princess wandered back to the main room, just in time to witness a floating jinx move past, snoring softly.

Raven was leaning against the door, a small smile on her face, once jinx was settled onto the couch she walked over and settled herself down next to the crashing girl.

"Friend Raven? Why does friend Jinx sleep like Beastboy at the Chick-flick?"

Raven glanced up at Starfire, looking oddly peaceful as she sat with jinx's head in her lap, rubbing the other girl's hair.

"She's ok star, she just had way too much caffeine, I guess her metabolism is different enough that it really affects her, we went for a run to burn off some of the energy, she fell asleep on a rock on the way back, although I am going to ask robin not to give her anymore coffee, its obviously not good for her…"

About an hour later, after Raven had resorted to teleporting a book to her hands for something to do as jinx slept, and the boys watched TV the pink haired girl moaned and began to stir.

One pink cat's eye opened lazily to see where she was, and then looked up at raven

"ummm… what happened, last thing I remember I was looking for a cd player in my room…"

Raven looked down from her book, and resumed stroking the cotton candy hair spread down from her lap a tiny smile on her face

"You drank a ton of robin's super coffee, and stole Cyborg's stereo. I had no idea you liked T-rex that much!! Anyway, while watching you dance on the bed singing along at the top of your lungs was funny, I thought I better stop you before you painted your room with Mystery paint… You my dear, have a problem with caffeine…"

"Ugh… its true… seriously, I must have been more distracted than I thought, never let me near caffeine, or white chocolate. Especially white chocolate, I make no apologies for what happens if I get either! Problem is, I love coffee, but it hates me…"

One thin eyebrow had slowly risen as raven listened to the rant Jinx had just yawned her way through "white chocolate?! Why?"

Jinx actually blushed and buried her head in ravens stomach "I'll never tell!!" was muffled but understandable from the girl trying oh so cutely to hid her glowing face.

"Oh come on, do!"

"Never!! You'll never get me to talk copper!! See!"

Jinx had made a fatal mistake, Raven was by nature curious, and hated not knowing things, probably the most effective way to distract the dark haired girl was 'I know something you don't know' and she would play dirty if forced to.

In this case playing dirty was poking the other girls exposed ribs, and then tickling her mercilessly as she squirmed to get away and burst out laughing

"Ha! I thought you were ticklish!!! Tell me or it continues!!!"

Jinx tried to roll off the couch in self defence, but only rolled out into mid air, still in front of raven, who was obviously now cheating furiously.

"Ok! Ok! I'll spill! And have revenge!! Come down here so I can whisper it…"

Jinx motioned raven closer, and was simply deposited back into the dark girl's lap, raven bent down to listen, placing her ear at jinx's mouth.

"the thing is… white chocolate, makes me handsy… seriously, one bar and I'll grab anyone, anywhere… when I was thirteen I was put in solitary for kissing the headmistress after stealing some from her… wasn't even worth it… lousy kisser!"

Raven couldn't help but laugh at the image of a young girl leaping from the shadows, all crazy eyed, and latching on to some severe and proper looking older woman.

She hugged the younger girl briefly and held her hand up in a boy scouts salute

"I promise no more coffee for you. And no white chocolate unless we're alone…"

Jinx's smirked at this and hugged her back, then snuggled into her lap once more.

"Cat nap. Wake me with food. Well, food or kisses. Both. Wake me with food and kisses."

Raven smiled at the mess of pink hair spread over her lap, jinx had not tied up her hair again and was surprisingly different looking with it loose, she picked up her book again. It was Starfires turn for dinner tonight, so they would be eating fairly late. Later, if they had to subdue the main course again.

The tower fell into a domestic kind of holding pattern, Robin in his study, Starfire ominously smuggling covered platters to the kitchen – either a surprise or light sensitive ingredients, no one knew – the boys sat on the centre of the couch playing online co-op in some shooting game, while raven perched neatly on the very furthest point of the long couch from the kitchen reading an old novel. All in all; the scene would be familiar to any frequent visitor to the tower, except for the pink haired girl asleep soundly on the couch, head on ravens knees and limbs flung loosely around her, it was peaceful, and held for several hours until a monstrous HONK broke the background noises, Star was using the Tamaranian dinner horn again. Robin had hidden it after the last time.

True to her word raven woke jinx by allowing the girl to sink onto the couch through her body, then kneeling to kiss her gently on the lips.

"Jinx? Its dinner, well… it's Tamaranian so it's kinda half dinner, half reality TV…"

"wha?... Rae? Where's the food and kisses??!"

"Don't be Greedy! I did kiss you… you just didn't wake up in time… and we try not to move Starfires cooking too much, some Glorch exploded once."

She helped the sleepy girl sit up, then stand grinning when jinx stretched her back like a cat as she yawned hugely.

"Wait. The food tends to be explosive?? That's kinda cool! Come on lets go get stuck in!"

Raven blinked, no one had even liked the sound of Starfires bouts of homesick cooking before, she had no idea how to react, shrugging she just walked to the table, taking her place quietly as Cyborg and Beastboy sweated silently, they had gotten the worst of the Glorch the last time, and were understandably gun-shy.

Despite all the teasing and horror stories, the meal was good, if odd looking the fun loving aliens seemed to like setting their foods into jellies the way dishes were served with rice or potato on earth – it was off putting but the dark chewy meat found inside was very nice raven found, with a solid texture and an intense flavour, much stronger than steak, she actually reached for more much to the delight of the nervous red head who hugged her.

"Friend Raven, never have I seen anyone not of Tamaran eat so much Flum'Rk!! Many find it too strong or worry about the meat being too chewy; I will fetch you more immediately!"

Saying this; the alien fell back on her home town table manners, shoving an improbable double handful of the semi-solid mass into her mouth as she rose.

The others, even jinx stared at Raven shock plain on their faces, Cyborg managed to get his mouth working again first.

"You, you like this?! I think I threw a servo chewing!! But you're having thirds!! I've never seen you eat like this… what have you done to our Rae-Rae?!"

The last was shot at jinx, whose own bowl was half full, most of the meat still in it.

She smiled wickedly and looked at Raven, her meaning obvious in the half closed pink eyes

"Oh I don't know; must have helped her build an appetite! Our girl here can really burn calories when she feels like it!"

She finished the sentence with a filthy laugh, and Raven was probably the only one who noticed her slide half her bowl into Robin's nearly empty one as the boys all looked off in embarrassment. Raven just laughed back, refusing to be embarrassed by the little sneaks attempt to get away from the alien delicacy.

Starfire floated back to the table a small pile of the meaty lumps on a platter, which was set between herself and Raven, she eyed the dark girl with a gunslingers gaze, obviously this was going to be eaten in true Tamaranian fashion 'dinner- to the death' raven thought with a slow smile, she flicked one hand dramatically and several pieces flew to her plate suddenly, Starfire shot forward, and began to fling the chunks at herself snatching what she could from the air like a dog catching treats.

The others cleared back, unwilling to be eaten by mistake, thanking Starfire as they ran to a safe distance.

A few moments of feeding frenzy were followed by stillness. Then a resounding belch from the Dainty princess that actually waved Ravens hair in the breeze shattered the peaceful moment.

"Thanks star that was lovely, I never realised how nice you peoples food was. I think the boys can handle the dishes for once. if anyone needs me, I'll be on the roof letting that settle…"

All heads turned to look out the window. An unpleasant morning had turned into a miserable day, the rain was dull and persistent, not as hard as it could, but big drops that seemed to soak straight to the skin, the team shrugged, the weather never disturbed Raven when she wanted to go outside for a while.

In the kitchen Beastboy and Cyborg stood side by side, cleaning off the bowls and glasses at the sink, robin with his usual flair for timing had vanished.

Cyborg was busy grumbling, and his green friend was looking thoughtful.

"Still think we coulda had those T bones… stupid hard to clean green stuff…"

"Well if you hadn't moaned about how they were so nice they just had to be barbequed and how it couldn't be done in the rain, Star wouldn't have traded for tomorrows dinner shift."

"Ahh shaddup, you do realise this was meat right?"

The young boy turned even greener as he realised that he had in fact, been eating meat at the table, he ran straight for the toilet.

'Hehehe that'll teach him for being Mr. clever… course, now I have to do the washing on my own…. Real smart Cyborg…'

The gleaming teen shrugged and set back to his task humming tunelessly as he fantasised about tomorrows barbeque.

Outside, Raven sat, completely dry, in the heavily falling rain she had meant what she said to the girls in the mall rain only affected her if she was busy with something else, her powers saw to that.

Most would have considered the state of mind she was in as meditation, but she knew better, she was just thinking to herself – about herself really.

'I've changed so much in the last week… it's been almost a year since the prophesy began… but I've only just found the courage to be myself fully… I never realised how different I _actually was_, only my training held me to normal ways… I never realised how simple some of these things are, they aren't powers… its just sides of my body I've never allowed come to the fore from shame…'

She gazed blankly into the distance from the roof of the tower. Her four dully glowing eyes easily making out the city she guarded through the gloom and rain.

She felt rather than heard another approaching, not really thinking about her altered appearance, she turned smiling to face jinx.

The flinch that ran through the pink haired girl threw raven badly, she had no idea what scared her

'Idiot Raven, your eyes!! You never put them away….'

Jinx recovered herself quickly berating herself for showing the shock it had caused, as raven preformed an odd double blink, and then opened her normal violet eyes.

"Raven, sorry about that, I had no idea you could just take those out whenever… I thought for a minute there"

"That I had gone nuts again? I know, empath remember? it's ok Pinky. I had no idea I could either, its just I realised that things like that… they are a part of me, just like yours, and really, hiding the fact that I'm a hybrid doesn't make it go away… not to mention I felt my teeth grow when I was digging into dinner..."

She demonstrated briefly, grinning as her teeth changed slightly, resembling jinx's own or beast boy's for a moment, before they returned.

"Those kinds of things, I just realised they aren't powers, or signs I'm evil and twisted… it's just part of my body, and actually kind of cool… I always had great night vision I mean I read by candlelight most nights, but when I do this"

Again her four eyes blinked into existence glowing brightly for a moment before settling into a dull glow

"I can see the people in the town jinx… and really see them, I can glimpse Aura's, and the power surrounding all of them… its beautiful… you have no idea how beautiful you are to me. Your power is just like you, it's wild and fast, flowing down around you like a curtain of neon… of course its pink… I can't believe I never let myself do this… it's so _cool_, and I hated it for all my life just because my father had it too…"

Jinx moved over, and hugged her, before a swift kiss on the lips. Smiling she drew back far enough to talk, without letting go of the cloaked figure before her.

"Its ok, I kind of understand, I mean people have recoiled or looked away all my life… I know how to hate your own appearance; how to be disgusted by something perfectly natural about yourself that others should just get over."

She kissed raven again drawing her in for a chaste meeting of lips

"But those teeth aren't going anywhere but into your food!! They're bigger than mine!! Look with whatever pair, well set, of eyes you'd like, I love 'em all, but those are a no go!!"

Raven laughed softly… funny, I seem to recall having to heal a lot of nips on you before we got dressed, didn't seem to mind last night…"

Jinx just laughed back, it was true, she really hadn't minded in the least! "Well, you weren't using teeth that could get their own show in national geographic! Come inside, I need you to stare creepily at Beastboy from the shadows for ogling me in the tub today."

Raven laughed again and just held jinx as she walked directly through the door, shadows swirling into their path just long enough to form a portal. The door wasn't even locked.

Raven looked at the clock on the wall, 22.06 blinked at her, 'I was out there longer than I realised…' "Jinx, I have that video conference thing with your review officer tomorrow morning, I'm going to go to bed. And sleep!"

The last addition was to quench the sharp feeling of hope rushing through the girl in her arms.

"Night Pinky, if you don't want to sleep alone, stop by, but I really do need to rest, otherwise I'll be all over the tower when I wake up…"

She kissed her girl goodnight, and then stepped back into a shadow, vanishing to her room.

Jinx leaned against the wall briefly grinning, then decided to bid the others goodnight, she had a long day as well after all, and had ever intension of eavesdropping on that call, after all it was about her, so that meant it was ok, she was just saving raven the trouble of telling her about it later. Like any considerate girlfriend would.

As she moved silently into the living room she observed for a moment the other people she was now living with. Starfire and Robin were sitting within inches of too close, both pretending it was an accident, but obviously desperate for an accidental touch, Cyborg and BB were just sitting for once, talking in normal voices and all.

She smiled 'Much better than the last bunch I lived with!'

"Guys, just before I go to bed, about Raven… I know we through you all for a bit of a loop… but its not a joke, or a fling to me, I really want it to work, so thanks for accepting me, I don't know what would happen if you guys, any of you, disapproved of this."

'Apart from your completely accidental horrible deaths if she left me because of it of course' but that was kept as an internal thought.

"Also, Raven is changing… I know it's a bit obvious from the jokes and the lady-lovin' but other stuff too. If you see her using the whole four eyes thing or anything a bit off like that, don't freak or attack! She's just realised some stuff is just a part of her. And nothing to do with her father. Please just support her if you can.

Anyway, night you guys… thanks for letting me prove myself. I don't think I ever said it. I owe you all."

She turned and walked out, feeling oddly solemn as she headed to her bed.

That was at least the intention, at the door a flying tackle pulled her into a crushing hug on the floor, Starfire was crying as she hugged jinx

"Thank you for being good to our friend! You have no need to thank us; you have already proved yourself as a good person to us!!! You do not owe us any favours for helping you, you are a friend, and friends must always help each other. We will be careful to raven, our thanks for the warning. Goodnight friend jinx!"

Her piece said she popped up from the floor where her hug had landed them, and ran back to the couch. Jinx stood more slowly shaking her head 'definitely nicer than my last bunch. Still a shower of maniacs though'

Raven smiled in her half-asleep state as a pair of arms encircled her, letting a wave of cold air under the heavy blankets. A shivering body pressed against her back and a kiss was planted against her neck.

"Sorry to sneak in, but my rooms a car crash and I'm too lazy to clean… night hon.

"Thas' ok… night Pinky…"

Both girls grinned at her own good fortune, and lying against each other, fell asleep perfectly relaxed.


	5. mornings and conversations

In a darkened room, the sunrise seemed to give up and wander off after only a few minutes futile struggle against the curtains cocoon-like shielding. This of course suited the young girl wrapped twice round in heavy blankets perfectly, while she had no problem getting up when she needed to, or wanted to, getting up early without a reason seemed like an insult to whatever good fate had handed you a lie in.

Into this cosy, warm bliss an annoying chirp sounded. Now the girl was a determined sleeper, on several occasions having napped through superhuman tussles in the next room, but this alarm -

'It's the bloody alarm'

Being her first rational thought – had an insistent tone, and seemingly, the patience of Atlas. Annoyed at having to muster the effort, she nudged the girl next to her and muttered

"Hit snooze Raven… I wanna snooze…"

There was no girl beside her. It hit jinx as she woke, that she was alone in ravens room, her bed no less, and the dark haired girl had left the alarm just for her, the cow.

A blast of pink energy swept from between blanket and pillow, somewhere in the nest they formed an arm may have pointed, but it was hard to be sure.

Striking the alarm, there was silence. Then the horrible squawk started again. Forcing her head above blankets like the worlds first and grumpiest pink submarine she noted the black shield wavering around the clock. Raven really wanted her up.

'Oh well, guess the only thing left to do is drag my grumpy ass out to her and grump at her until I can go back to sleep. Or go clean my room… but that's probably harder. And colder. And no morning kisses.'

"AND THIS FUCKING CLOCK CAN PROBABLY TELEPORT!!!!"

Screaming at annoying objects helped oddly. Its what had kept Private hive on the squad.

Several minutes later, the forecast proved correct as a bleary eyed and grumpy Jinx stumbled into the living room. Seeing her Days first pigeon, she snuck up behind a mostly asleep beast boy lowering herself to just behind his ear she bellowed

"FETCH ME BREAKFAST OR I FEAST ON THE LIVING!!!"

The sight of a green superhero first swallowing an entire pancake in shock, then attempting to run to the kitchen in wide eyed fear, whilst choking, helped cheer her even more than screaming at the clock. She might work it into her daily routine from now on…

She noticed Cyborg across the table staring at her astonishing meanness at this hour.

"What? I can't touch caffeine! Gotta get my morning jolly somehow! Anyway, how can a shape-shifter choke?! Turn into something with a bigger neck you green muppet!"

The last was directed at the still obviously uncomfortable Beastboy who was walking over with a plate of pancakes.

Cyborg just smiled, and then started to laugh

"you only got him so good because Rave said exactly the same thing about a half hour ago when she passed through… poor BB turns to find four red eyes and these huge teeth looking at him from like an inch away!!! Screams like a girl, falls over, only to get picked up and made to cook bacon, funniest thing I've seen since the last time he screamed like a girl in public… grown man Crying about the bacon he's cooking belonging on some cute piggies…"

Jinx giggled, and then looked at Beastboy, just as he briefly switched to a crocodile, then back, apparently much happier now.

"sorry BB, but you brought that on yourself, she wasn't happy about you ogling me in the tub when my suit malfunctioned… had to be avenged you realise?"

"But, but, I didn't know you guys were together then! And you weren't looking so that makes it-"

His gravedigger of a justification was cut short by a steel hand dropping onto his shoulder and his friend's deep voice cutting in

"Let it lie man… put the shovel down, and try and get out before you dig any deeper.

Rae usually meditates and stuff on the roof, Jinx if she's not there, then she might be in the office, she mentioned having to get some paperwork done. Oh, and Robin said he was sorry, but e had to go check up on a lead he'll rain-check that shopping thing you two organised."

Jinx just nodded, the day was actually fairly nice out, so not spending it in a locksmith arguing with robin was a good thing by anyone's standards.

As the pink girl wandered away from the table, stopping into the kitchen with her dirty plate before heading to the roof Beastboy regained the ability to speak.

"Jinx and robin were going shopping?? You realise there's no way that'll end without a fight? She'll drive him nuts before they get outside!"

"You don't know Jinx, sure she messes about a lot, but she's very serious on the job – no such thing as a careless thief BB… if Robin cares enough to reschedule then its because she impressed him with something. Now what was this about a suit malfunction and you ogling the bad luck fairy in front of her girlfriend?!"

A huge grin sprang up across Beast boy's face,

"Dude you should have seen it… I fell asleep in the tub again, and then these two walk in; all over each other!!..."

Jinx paused at the top of the stairs, smiling at the memory no point in giving out to him, she would tell the story too if a girl fell in onto her and her top came off, so why give him a hard time about it? She shrugged and walked out the door she had opened before pausing to eavesdrop on the two below her. The roof was as she remembered it, and totally empty. 'Raven must have jut beamed down to the office… crap! The phone call!'

The two boys were leaning into each other, as Beastboy got to the juicy part of his story as jinx shot past; she skidded to a halt staring at them both

"Ha!! I knew it!! Gizmo owes me fifty bucks!! When did you two fine fellows decide to play on your own side of the fence?"

Beastboy wore his default confused face, Cyborg being more used to Jinx's random way of speaking – and filthy mind – got her point quickly.

"Hey!! We aren't gay!, well I'm not, we gotta wait a few years to see what team Beastboy signs up with you know! You just got gay on the brain girl!"

Jinx couldn't help but laugh as Beastboy switched from confused to horrified, then offended in a few moments

"Sure thing Stone, but I'm still picking up a couple of rainbow bumper stickers… one for your car, one for you!"

"You put bumper stickers on my car and I'm gonna tell raven about your collection of stuffed unicorns! That's right! I saw 'em when we went to that dance, and I aced my blackmail exams that term! ... Caught the teacher looking up naughty pictures…"

Her eyes went wide, then narrowed, he would do it. And then raven would tease her till her dying day. Cyborg was going down, but in a way unconnected to her… somehow…

The metal titan looked delighted with himself, it was rare to get jinx speechless, and he knew he had something over her now…

As she walked away fuming she paused at the open door leading to the rest of the tower.

"Of course you know, this means war!!"

The smug expression on Cyborg's face slid a little, but he shrugged, as long as she kept quoting daffy duck, how serious can it be?

Jinx stomped off towards the office where robin held his rare meetings with non-titans and handled videoconferences with people who wanted the information kept secret. The door glowed a solid black.

'Well, I've found Raven. And she's blocked the lock picking approach too… sneaky. Wonder if that stuff is soundproof? Ah well, one way to find out…'

Raven sat at Robin's desk, technically it was the titans office, but the boy wonder was so anal retentive that he handled all the paperwork and contacts. She smiled briefly at the image of his face the day he found Starfire filing. 'Boy needs a hobby. Or a monumental lay. Both probably. No one should be that excited about getting paper in the right place.'

She stood and stretched her back briefly, before getting back to it, used to sitting on open backed chairs or standing as she worked, she hated office chairs and always ended up with back aches after sitting in one. The call had gone well; Officer Hickey had been involved the last time raven needed to contact a government department, and seemed to actually function as a buffer between the weirdness of metahumans and the snarl of red tape that functioned as a government.

'Still, she was very helpful…. Not many people could keep a straight face while trying to help me sort out a birth cert and citizenship application…' the man behind the counter had eventually just gone blank and accepted that Azarath was her place of birth and Trigon was her fathers name.

A giggle actually escaped as she remembered him dropping the pen when she answered his last question in all innocence –

"Fathers occupation?"

"The Eight devil, Duke of hell, conqueror of Worlds and paragon of hate."

"… Officer Hickey, could you fill in the rest? I'm going for lunch or something."

So after that fiasco, a first meeting about jinx's progress went fairly smoothly, Raven just shared the information about jinx's early life obtained by robin and her upbringing in the hive, the blond officer's calm blue eyes had darkened, and then went flat as she described brother bloods actions. After this, she had just gone on to say that had fit into the group well, and had expressed a need to just get on with life, and her belief that the titans were the best way to do this. The officer had been pleased at the thought of a full conversion from the juvenile mercenary, Raven had ended with her own impression of Jinx – a fairly glowing review even if it was delivered in her own monotone, and promised to call again in a week. Then a pile of paper pushed its way from the fax machine. Apparently all of it had to be submitted in writing too.

A few minutes later she had finally finished all the forms and stood to send them back through the fax. As she walked to the door, still bound in her power it opened for her.

Revealing jinx, crouching to almost waist height with one ear, and quite a lot of hair trapped against the black glow.

Their eyes met as a small smile worked across ravens features.

"I knew you'd eavesdrop!!! I should leave you stuck there! Would serve you right, those calls are the only thing in the tower your not being given access to, apart from our private spaces, and you just had to try and see why! It's amazing how curious you get…"

A small gesture released the shamefaced jinx, who rubbed her ear furiously as she stood, and stretched to crack her back, apparently she had been there a while.

"Chill out Rae, I thought that was why you set me an alarm! So I could her it, save you telling me about it later, I was practically doing you a favour really! And what do I get?! My ear stuck to the door by your ice cold and completely soundproof powers! Now that's gratitude!"

The two just looked at each other, jinx still trying to rub feeling back into her left ear absently. Raven smiled and shook her head as she hugged the pink eyed maniac in front of her

"Only you Pinky would consider breaking one of the only terms of your parole, doing me a favour! I can't share about those meetings, and you know the rest, no breaking the law, help out the titans as we ask, and show you can actually function in society.

Other than that, you have no limitations!."

Jinx just returned the hug, and kissed raven on the cheek as she stood back

"So, am I allowed ask how it went? Or do I have to pester you until you crack? Because I think that would take ages, and I would have to clear my schedule…"

"It went fine, I know the liaison officer, she helped me get set up as an official American a few years ago when the titans set up and the tower was being built, so she trusts me. We just went over your history, and she wanted to know about your mindset and if you seemed to be a complete loon or if you were willing to change."

They walked back to the living room arm in arm, not really talking just leaning against each other.

The pair settled comfortably into the couch with arms still linked, for a few minutes they just looked out of the tall windows, the towers view on nice days like today truly was amazing. Raven turned to find jinx looking at her a small smile on her pale lips.

"Who are you grinning at?? You don't see enough of me, that now your resorting to staring?!"

She nudged jinx playfully still unsure of how relationships worked in the quiet moments, and nervous of messing up.

"Jinx grinned even wider and shook her head, the hair she had neglected to put up that morning shifted around her face, leaving a fine pink veil to her features when she replied.

"I'm just getting my fill, I was actually thinking about spending the day with the others… trust me, I'd rather lock myself up with you, but it might be worth letting the others bask in my winning personality for a while. If I am supposed to work with you, I'd like to think you could all trust me and think I'm reliable what do you think babe? Can you bear to part with me for an afternoon?!"

Raven treated her teasing the same as anyone else's, it was met with a solid deadpan expression that had been known to put stand up comics off their act from two towns over

"I suppose the withdrawals won't kick in till tomorrow, it's a good idea, Robin already trusts you, and anyway he's not home but I'd advise you to try and meet him professionally, he's way more comfortable talking to people like that, and I know you can impress him somehow…"

Jinx grinned, she had gotten the same read off of Robin, that was why she demonstrated her lock picking and volunteered to help rebuild the system, but it was nice to have an empath friend of his agree with her assessment.

"What about BB and Starfire? I can't really figure them out, she's intelligent, I know it!! But the innocent alien thing she puts on keeps throwing me. Plus the boobs are distracting… and BB; I know no one is that shallow and stupid, I mean mammoth could hold a conversation better for god's sake!"

Raven looked thoughtful for a moment, she hadn't expected jinx to be so observant

"Starfire really is like that to an extent, she's very excitable, and loves surprises and girly things, her English is perfect, but she still thinks in Tamaranian, so her speech patterns make her seem simple, really the way for her to like you is shopping, makeovers that kind of thing… god knows she doesn't get enough girl time from me! But to trust you she has to fight by your side, her people are all warriors, and trust and honesty are their way of life if she says it, its true, and she expects that from others as well. Battle is very important too, one or two fights should get her respect…

And quit looking at her boobs!!!"

Jinx winced, she hadn't really meant to say that bit… but dammit! They were hypnotic!

"What about BB?"

"He's actually fairly deep, but he's lost a lot of people in his life…

His folks died when he was very young, and it took a while before anyone would adopt a green kid. He ended up with the doom patrol, they raised him, but the leader is a grade A dick, seriously, I almost evaporated the guy about five minutes after introductions he treats BB so badly… and Terra was the first girl he ever liked… and she left him, came back betrayed us all… then right when it seemed she was coming back to us, she died, that screwed him up… the whole shallow nerdy idiot thing is just to keep people at arms length. Play along: watch his shows, play games that kind of thing, wearing tight tops will probably help, but might make me kill him. Eventually he'll let you in…"

Jinx hugged raven suddenly "thanks for the info Rae; I needed help… what's your plan for the day?"

Nothing that exciting… I have to do a bit of shopping, find some herbal tea and I've been meaning to finish warding a chest in my room for a while now, but I keep getting distracted… maybe its because I hate carving runes… need anything while I'm in town? May as well pick you up a few bits since I don't actually have to carry anything home…"

Jinx looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded

"Is there any chance you could pick me up some CD's and DVD's, I'll write out a list, but I really miss my collection since that yellow idiot got everything trashed… she got up at ravens nod and found a notepad and pen by the phone console scribbling furiously she came back a moment later with the pen tucked cutely behind one ear

"Here you go hun', I owe you for this… I'll pick up the money in when I can get into the bank… during opening hours before you ask!! I have a couple accounts…."

"I bet you do… I won't ask about the money in them… I'll pick up the films, but if you want music, just use the computer there, Robin set up a download account a while back when Beastboy nearly deleted the whole system getting viruses off shoddy sites…"

"Robin actually engaged in song piracy?! It's barely a crime, but still!! It's more than I expected!!"

Raven smiled, it was true for a vigilante the boy was unable to jaywalk without a logical reason.

"Actually its all above board, one of his friends from Gotham set up an account for him, the money is siphoned from crooks accounts I think… I saw the explanation, but accounting goes over my head…"

Jinx was already moving to the desk, opening the icon as she adjusted the seat to her height, Cyborg was the last to use it and the chair was practically on the floor. Raven looked over her girls shoulder as three play lists were swiftly assembled training music, chill music and my music were all growing rapidly.

She read some of the titles with growing interest, training music was an odd mix, a lot of hair metal she noticed, Dragonforce, metallica and best power ballads in the world all featured in album titles, along with some tribal music, confused she brought this up

Jinx just glanced back and shrugged "training music is any song that can get my blood going, and keep me moving, help me space out and just perform something like weights or athletics without feeling tired or bored. Sometimes its metal, sometimes its just a really good drum beat that carries you…

The chill stuff – she brought up the other list, mostly classical this time Chopin and Mozart – is for when I can't think straight and my powers are either not working, or on a hair trigger my control isn't as harsh as yours, but every so often I just need to settle myself…"

She fell silent and just continued queuing up songs.

"And what about the third list?! What's that?"

"Umm never mind… you never need to see that!!! Hey!!"

She objected as the keys flared black for a moment, bringing the buried third list too the surface of the screen raven smiled first, then started to laugh softly as she released the controls and hugged Jinx from behind, kissing the side of her neck fondly as she did so.

"I had no idea… I mean I really wouldn't have pegged you as that sort of girl!"

The shameful third list lay there like a smoking gun, displaying an array of soundtracks to the world…

"Cats, Miss Saigon, Madame Butterfly, barber of Seville… Oh brother where art thou?; hey, the phantom of the opera! I've never listened to that… any good?!"

Jinx was mortified, her flaming face was hidden in her hands, this was worse than Cyborg seeing her unicorn collection Raven was the last person she would ever admit to singing along to these too… 'Crap!!!! Don't think that! She'll-'

Raven was laughing again, she hugged jinx tighter and kissed her again

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to but you were shouting that one… you really sing along to these? I mean I saw you dancing around singing into a hairbrush, but this is different isn't it?!"

Jinx just nodded, still blushing madly, swallowing she started to whisper not wanting the boys to hear her.

"I… I really like music, I love listening to it, and I starting singing along to the stuff that really got to me, when I could I mean, there's some that weren't written for a girls voice… but ya… I sing and when the guys caught me they made so much fun of me… it was horrible! I guess I was just used to keeping that private…"

Raven kissed her cheek fondly, its ok, I understand… I used to feel really weird meditating in front of people, but the guys got over it after a while… I'm not saying there'll be no teasing! But it's not a bad thing…"

Jinx smiled as she added one last song, and hit play as it finished downloading, noting absently the ridiculous speed of the towers internet. A deep male voice rolled out of the speakers, joined by a second; moments later. The instruments were very light only accenting the pair of singers almost unnoticeably.

The pale girl settled back into her chair, and laid her head into ravens shoulder eyes closed as the singers reached the chorus together.

Raven could feel contentment flowing off Jinx, it was almost odd. She was usually a bundle of fast emotions, now she felt like a pool instead of a river. The song was quite sad, but very beautiful it was undoubtedly the one jinx meant wasn't meant for girls to sing.

"What is this? It's lovely…"

"Its called Les Pecheurs de perles – the pearl fishers – by Georges Bizet… its one of my favourites… sad, but not just that… always calms me down and helps me balance myself out…"

She snuggled happily into the shoulder supporting her taking the opportunity to arch back and kiss ravens throat. As she settled back to her former position she spoke again.

"So when are you headed to town? Anytime soon? In about an hour maybe? Hour and a half max?"

Raven glanced down, the emotions began to roll off of jinx once again, the strength and direction of them causing a blush to race across her face glancing at the other three occupants of the room,

Seizing Jinx's hand she turned and the two raced from the room giggling as they got out the door they were just visible moving together as the doors hissed closed.

Starfire smiled as the door shut behind her, it was good to see Raven happy, and she had worried that the withdrawn girl would ever allow herself to be passionate about anyone out of fear, to admit her feelings took a lot of courage, especially since Starfire gathered that same sex couples had to fight even more to be accepted. On Tamaran things were simpler, less formal – anyone who found someone else who liked them, they declared it, fought anyone else who was interested- and the winners got together. Only her family, the royal family, ever arranged weddings. The normal course was so elemental and honest, humanities twisted games of hidden emotion and meanings were so confusing to her. Some days she wished that he would suddenly just do things her way – the human way terrified her it was so simple to make a false step…

Beastboy looked around noticing their absence for the first time

"Hey guys, where did the girls go? They were here a minute ago!! Should we go find them? Find out what they want for lunch?"

"I believe Raven will eat in town, and I believe… I believe friend Jinx wishes to be alone for a while, she will return when she smells the food, as she said, anything is better than the food of the prisons."

The green boy settled into the chair he had started to rise from satisfied with the explanation. Cyborg met Starfires eyes for a minute, laughing at the innocence Beastboy was showing, even though he always tried to seem so worldly.

Cyborg used the opportunity to seize the remote control flicking to the extreme wrestling hour. Grinning as the next match was announced

"All right!! Bikini brawl!! Best of three match! Life is good!"

"You'll have to record it. Mumbo's disappeared from his cell."

The three teens turned to see robin standing in the doorway, his communicator in his right hand.

"We need to find out how he escaped without his wand, and if he's already got a new one, we'll be called in to stop him, the police can't stop him like that."

Starfire sighed as she rose from the couch and floated from the room.

"I shall fetch raven and jinx, I will return in a moment."

The door to Ravens room was slightly ajar, which was very odd, normally the door was tightly shut and locked, but from the quiet giggles and small moan Starfire had just heard, Raven was too distracted to observe her usual routine.

Raven was perched on the desk, only about five feet inside her own door, the bed just seemed too far for jinx apparently, not that raven minded, her mind was currently blank as the pink haired girl standing in front of her expertly worked her way along ravens neck.

Then the near silence was broken by a knock. Both girls looked around, noticing nothing, they immediately settled back to each other intent on making up for the phantom interruption; when it returned, this time the knock had brought his friend polite cough.

"Friends? May I join you?!"

Jinx just looked Raven in the eye, one pink eyebrow arched, and her face locked in a lecherous grin, which immediately got her thumped on the shoulder.

"I saw that thought Jinx!! And I'll get you for it later!!" was whispered as raven passed her still grinning lover, fixing her cloak as she mad it to the door, noticing with a blush that it wasn't even locked.

'Oh Azar! Star could hear us!!'

"Come in Starfire, what's wrong?"

The alien, with an odd grin fighting for dominance on her face with a raging blush walked in, eyes firmly on the floor as she mumbled something.

"Oh for Azar's sake… star we're both dressed, look, we're two feet away from each other! You can look up!"

Raven's voice betrayed her annoyance at being interrupted, and then being forced to play host to a suddenly shy princess, rather then getting down to what she really wanted to be doing.

Jinx slid up from behind her, loosely hugging ravens hips as Starfire plucked up the courage to meet their eyes.

"What's wrong Star? You're blushing!! Why is that?!"

Raven sighed… "Stop teasing the girl jinx… is something up? I didn't hear any alarm…"

"ummm… my apologies for interrupting your time together, and I will try not to blush in future if I find you together friend Jinx, but Robin has found out that mumbo has escaped from jail, and we are needed to search for the clues I believe, at the prison."

"Wonderful… a few hours standing around as robin asks questions… for this I get interrupted? … Damn. Come on hon', we have to go…"

Raven fixed her cloak one last time, and walked out of the room. Jinx started to follow, and then turned to the blushing Tamaranian, with a cheeky grin firmly in place; she spoke too quietly for raven to hear

"Oh, Star, 'may I join you'; is perhaps not the phrase to use if you know we're… doing that… unless you mean it!!"

With her trademark maniacal laugh the feline ran down the corridor, leaving the practically glowing girl to follow.

Authors note:

The songs I mentioned are all favorites of my own, and worth listening to!

Sorry this one took a while, I hate the 'flu, and it was my birthday this week!, the next should take a few days, and you'll get it when I'm done.

Thanks for all the kind reviews by the way, its great to get some motivation to keep writing.


	6. Titans Debut

Titan's Debut.

The team arrived in full colour to the prison gates, Starfire and Raven had volunteered to fly, since the car would be overfull otherwise and the five costumed teens, plus Jinx's colourful addition made quite a site at the gates.

Robin spoke quickly to the gate guards, and the team moved inward, from the bustling of staff to and fro from one wing, it was easy to see where the problem was. As the team moved up slowly to the cell block that mumbo had been held on robin looked about disapproval stamped on his face.

"they should have put this place in lockdown as soon as the problem was discovered, and held it for us or the forensics team… we're not going to find anything after this lot have run around for two hours…"

He same tall thin warden met them at the cell door, looking more flustered than ever he tactfully ignored jinx as she stuck out her tongue at him, and shook robins hand frantically.

"Thank you all for coming! We're not sure of the exact situation yet, but Mumbo is the only prisoner missing, we've gone onto prisoner lockdown of course, but we will have to lift that in an hour or so, so they can eat…"

Robin removed his hand calmly from the man's damp grip, and his arm retreated under his cape.

"It's our job Warden, of course we responded, we won't be long, if you could ask your staff to step back, and to cooperate with us?"

The staff in question which too a man had been eavesdropping on the conversation all moved back as the teen heroes moved to the cell itself.

Robin turned his head as he neared the cell,

"Jinx, you're with me checking here, I need to know if the door was forced or picked. I'll check the cell, Starfire; check the roof for signs of entry. Cyborg; check the surveillance equipment, then pick up the tapes if the cameras are ok. Beastboy, check the perimeter for anything unusual, then fall back to Cyborg, you're his runner if he finds anything on the tapes. Raven? I need you to examine the area for any magic, or if someone teleported here recently… is that possible?"

At the slight nod from the hooded girl he turned back to the cell.

"Ok titans; go to your assignments, comm.'s open in case you find trouble..."

As one the group moved, Raven seating herself comfortably on the air near the door, eyes closed as she began a slow chant. Jinx removed a thin role of velvet from the back pocket of her red jeans as she knelt by the lock, Cyborg moved off with a guard to find the security room, and Beastboy and Starfire took to the air.

Robin glanced at jinx as she probed the lock delicately, then it clicked.

"Where did you get a set of lock picks?! No way you snuck those into, then out of prison!"

The girl looked up through her still loose pink hair and smiled at him.

"No, these are yours, I found 'em in your study the other day, guess I forgot to put them back… how do you think I picked that lock? Magic?!"

"…actually yes. That is how I thought you picked that lock! Keep the picks, but don't use them too much, not even if you _really_ want to see the other side of some door."

The two shrugged and moved back to there jobs, robin began the unsavoury job of sorting through mumbo's cell, photographing anything he found, but there was very little out of the ordinary.

'What kind of long term prisoner has no personal effects? There's library books, Houdini's biography… none of his own, no photos… it's like he knew he would have to leave anything he brought here.'

Jinx straightened from her crouch and leaning against the wall spoke to robin.

"Locks fine, it's in working order, no sign of it been forced, or tampered with, but it might have been picked by someone who knew how - but I'd need a micro camera to see that…"

Wordlessly robin detached a thin package from the back of his belt and passed it over.

"Sweet! What else is in your belt? Do you have candy? It's rude to hide candy you know!! Not to mention sticky!! Do you have sticky candy in your belt?! Share the candy dammit!"

Raven floating behind the two quietly couldn't help but grin as jinx pestered robin like a four year old, all the while assembling the eyepiece and fibre optic camera like a professional. Trying to get back on track, she cleared her throat and tried to interrupt what was now a world class example of lets annoy robin.

"—**No**!! I don't have any sweets! Yes, if I get sweets, you can have some! There's no room in my belt for candy! Get back to work!"

"Guys… can I get you two to step out for a minute? I just want to see the cell empty for a moment…"

Both turned sharply to look at raven, and shamefaced they filed out of the room, jinx knelt again to examine the lock with the camera as Raven floated past them, still in her meditative pose.

The noise of the prison fell away as her concentration deepened, even with her eyes closed she could now feel the people around her, jinx and robin first… then the prisoners on all sides. Tightening her focus she reigned in her senses to the room she occupied. Slowly letting out her last breath, a tide of black energy flowed out from under her cloak slowly enveloping the floor, then the furnishings, up the walls and across the ceiling. The whole cell darkened until raven herself was lost from sight, even to jinx's enhanced vision. Suddenly four burning eyes appeared in the dark.

Raven cast her demonic vision around the room, her fathers most obvious inheritance was far from simply his family crest, the extra eyes were incredibly acute, and tuned to the mystical, she could literally see into another's soul, or find a person in a crowd of thousands. Locating magical after-effects in an empty room was easy. In fact, the eagle's vision she could now summon was so finely tuned, it was distracting, she had to bind the room to prevent the soul of others distracting her, and it was hard when looking on others like this not to think about them as her father would – in terms of their power or usefulness.

Glancing around one last time, she left the darkness flow back into her soul, and turned to face robin.

"No sign of magic's, great or small in the cell. The whole prison is wound with wards since it got upgraded to hold metahumans, so I can't check the building and there have been too many people through here to tell if he had any powerful visitors. Mumbo's own aura is present, but fairly weak, he really is pitiful without his wand and hat."

Robin looked down, unable to hold the strange double gaze,

"Thanks Raven, that's one option down anyway… is there anyway to check for something like metahuman teleporting? Non-magical kinds I mean"

"No. there's too many variations; I just wouldn't know what to look for. But I can say, he didn't get himself out, his presence isn't strong enough for card tricks."

Robin looked thoughtful for a moment, before running his hand through his hair.

"Ok… could you two go get some statements from the nearby prisoners? I'll finish up here then go collect whatever the Warden can give us. Call me when you're done, or if someone has something useful."

Nodding, both girls turned and moved off, leaving the boy wonder to his investigations.

Deciding wordlessly to work as a pair, rather than split up and maybe miss something, they worked around the cell block. Typically, no-one saw anything, and most were happy for one of there owns good fortune on getting out. Almost an hour was spent this way, fruitlessly questioning everyone systematically, until they came to the last cells that could have seen anything. The metahuman wing. Both girls paused, only the first four cells in the special cul du sac could have seen anything, the others were much further in, and many had no viewing ports, due to special circumstances with the prisoner.

Jinx was nearly hyperventilating. A week ago, this wing was going to be home until she was grey. Her old team was in here somewhere, except gizmo, who had been moved to a special facility since he could figure out any normal system of locks. She remembered mammoth crying silently at the thought of the young boy being on his own. The pair had operated like halves of a single person since Gizmo was old enough to talk, and had never been separated, not even by prison until now.

Raven started to move in, then paused, turning to face jinx, she easily saw the apprehension and sadness etched in the usually carefree girls mind at the sight of the cells. Touching jinx's arm lightly she smiled and spoke in a voice too low for any of the prisoners to hear.

"Its ok jinx, you'll never get stuck here again, except on stupid jobs like this, and your able to leave anytime you want. It'll be ok…"

Jinx smiled at the attempt to reassure her but was still freaking out as she steeled herself and began to walk forward.

They checked the four doors, two were useless Plasmus was kept asleep and in any case was in the centre of the room, with no view of the door. On the opposite side, Cinderblocks door was heavily reinforced, with no viewport, only a small camera and monitor allowing the guards to view inside. The last two, were the ones right on the corridor, Billy numerous on the left and mammoth on the right.

Raven gestured for jinx to pick; after all she knew these two. Jinx took another deep breath, and moved to the left, knocking then opening Billy's cell with the special key the titans had obtained from the warden months previously, it opened any of the special case cells.

The cell itself was odd, practically bare, it only had one chair, and a small table, the bed was on the floor, along with a small bookshelf. The floor was the eye catching part; it was made of shiny segments, each about a foot square. The boy on the bed was unremarkable, dirty blond hair and wide blue eyes, set into a face too pale to have seen the sun for any length of time recently.

"jinx? That you girl? They said you'se had jumped ship, but you're here to spring me!! Always knew you loved your Billy!!"

She smiled sadly at the enthusiastic boy, probably only around beast boys age, as Raven entered the room slowly, the smile faded from his face as she closed the door behind herself.

"Ah hell Jinxy, you did jump didn't ya… can't believe I stuck up for ya… why would you go against your family girl??"

"Billy… Billy, I'm with the Titans now, I'm on parole. If I play nice I get to be a titan! No more jails… no more rotten little holes trying to keep my head down… no more being spat at for being meta… its my chance… I'm… _we're_ here to ask you some questions about this morning."

"I didn't see nothin' specially if its my turncoat sister doin' the asking. I see you again girl, your nothing but another goody goody trying to stop me go on, get out! It's near my chow time, and lookin' at you is ruinin' my appetite. ".

Raven, silent through the whole exchange was watching Billy from under her hood, four eyes dull for the moment, she knew he really didn't see anything; and how much it hurt him to turn his back on jinx, he really meant it when he called her his sister.

She moved to the door and pushed her hand through it, fitting the key back into the lock and pushing with her other arm she stepped out and jinx followed quickly, tears in her eyes. Raven locked the door quickly, and scanned the corridor, no one nearby. Enveloping the two in a dark shield she hugged jinx tightly, holding the girl as a few sobs escaped, within moments, jinx reassembled herself, drying her eyes, and she moved apart from raven and nodded. Raven dropped the shield, and moved to the last door

"It's ok; I can do this on my own if you want… I understand Jinx if you want to sit this last one out…"

The pink eyed girl took another deep cleansing breath, held it; and then released.

"No, I have to be able to do this, or I'm no use to the team. Weakness can't be tolerated in any segment of the team or the mind"

The last sounded very like one of Brother Blood's teachings to raven, but she would never mention it when jinx was so fragile.

Jinx took the key, and opened the last, reinforced door stepping inside as if it was the gas chamber.

"Hey Mammoth, its jinx… they treating you ok in here?" Her voice sounded oddly kind to raven, almost maternal in its concern. It rang through the darkened room reaching the hulking form in the one chair, staring out the window vacantly.

"Jinx?!! Jinx! Hi! Did you bring Gizmo? Are we leaving?? I haven't seen you in months! Are you ok? you've been crying… what's Raven doing here?"

The barrage of questions were fired out in a deep voice, that jarred with the excited tone as mammoth charged over to sweep jinx in a huge hug, which she returned around his neck.

"No mammoth, 'fraid you're stuck here. And Gizmo is still upstate until they figure out what to do with him. Raven's here with me… I joined the Titans, remember kid flash? He got me in… it means I can't lead the hive five anymore though… we need to ask you some questions ok?"

The big teen placed her back on her feet delicately, and then nodded sorrowfully.

"How can you join them? You're bad, like us…"

"Mammoth, you're only a bad person if you do bad things… I decided to stop that, and I got lucky… I helped the titans when they really needed and in return they're doing me this favour, you see? We just needed to know if you saw anyone hanging around that cell over there this morning or last night, or if there was word about an escape in the works…"

"Ok Jinx… I'm happy that you're not stuck in here like us… I'll miss you when we get out though… no, I saw nobody over there but the screw this morning. He took the old guy out and marched him to the yard. Dunno anything about an escape, otherwise I'd be gone…"

The big mans voice had gone quiet as he realised Jinx wasn't going to be in charge anymore, but he was genuinely happy for his friend getting out of the cycle of prison and fighting. Jinx smiled and hugged him again.

Thanks big guy, I'll come visit ok? I can't go see gizmo, but I'll call and see if they'll let him write you letters ok? I know you two miss each other."

He smiled at the last, thanks Jinx, that's real nice of you… say hi to the others if you see them for me"

She smiled again, and the two titans left the room quietly locking the door as they closed it.

Raven concentrated for a moment, then turned to face Jinx with her own violet eyes, she touched the other girls arm briefly again, getting a warm smile, despite the tears in the other girl's eyes.

"Come on, let's get back to the car, we can fill in Robin and get you home."

Jinx just smiled again, not yet trusting her voice as the two girls walked down the steps past the shouting inmates on their way to the T-car.

Once again the two girls approached the car in the courtyard of the grey dismal prison.

The sun shone this time, and Jinx was no longer a prisoner under escort, the differences were not lost on the pink haired girl as she sat into the back of the car. They were the first back.

"You ok?"

Ravens voice jarred jinx out of her daze and she turned to smile at the empath who was regarding her with naked concern.

"Ya, but it was hard… I pulled the guys through so much… blood… the HIVE… knowing I was free and they aren't kinda feels weird, we aren't as close as the titans, but still, we were orphans together you know? Everyone else kicked us so we promised never to kick each other when we went out on our own… Billy, well… what kind of piece of shit would you feel like it Beastboy turned his back and said he couldn't look at you?"

"I can't imagine that… come here"

Raven pulled jinx into a strong hug, which lasted for a full minute, holding the taller girl as she stroked her candyfloss hair. She sat back almost regretfully.

"I have to call Robin, so we can get out of here. We really must get you a communicator…"

As she spoke she retrieved hers from the back of her belt, and flicking it open, dialled robin.

"Robin here, what's up Raven, your back at the car?"

"Yes we are, we questioned the prisoners with a view of mumbo's cell and the lead up to it. Most saw nothing special, the only one who gave any info was mammoth, jinx managed to get him to open up – he said he saw a screw, is that a guard? – take him out towards the yard early in the morning. Listen I really want to get Jinx home, interrogating her former team mates left a bad taste if you understand me."

"Ok Raven, that ties in with everyone's story. We're all in the security office, we'll be down soon. Good job Jinx, we never would have gotten mammoth to talk."

With that, he signed off, robin never bothered with hellos or goodbyes.

Jinx spoke up as she sank back into the hug once more

"Didn't you want to pick some stuff up today? Because if you did head to town, then we could curl up under a blanket and watch films tonight… I kinda feel like a warm and fuzzy night after today…"

Raven just stroked her hair and smiled

"No problem, I still have your list, I'll pick up a few films and some junk food, we can haul Cyborg's backup Plasma screen to your room and do just that. I'll head away when the others get down."

It took another five minutes for the rest of the team to arrive at the car; the girls were still holding each other quietly when they arrived.

Raven kissed jinx quickly on the cheek, before she took to the air, she had her shopping list of DVDs tucked into her belt, and only one stop to make herself before she could head home, Cyborg was doing barbeque T bones and then it was going to be a comfort night for them both.

The team was only home about a half an hour when the phone rang; jinx looked up from the fighting game she was demolishing Beastboy in briefly, only to see Starfire pick up, then wince.

Starfire picked up the incoming call on the console she was passing, the others she had observed, tended to ignore any call not on the emergency line until robin answered it.

It was Raven, a very angry looking Raven.

"Hey Starfire. The **idiot** at the apothecaries lost my order. That I placed two days ago. Again. I'm going to be a while, since I obviously have to stand here until he does it right. Tell the guys I'll be late for dinner. And tell jinx I'm looking forward to movies ok? I think I need it frankly because if he doesn't move any faster, the titans are going to get a call to remove me from his chest!!"

The last, while said to Starfire was obviously for the ears of the poor apothecary off camera.

"Alright friend Raven, I will inform the others, and pass your message to friend Jinx. Please, do not kill the shopkeeper; it would be… most inconvenient if you had to shop elsewhere from now on."

"Thanks Star, that's about the only thing stopping me frankly. See you in a while"

"Goodbye Raven."

Starfire ended the call with an amused expression on her face, she was still unused to a raven who was affected by anything, so watching her get angry at shop clerks was strange, and considering her new habit of gaining extra eyes when angry, probably terrifying for the man. Still she sniffed, if he did his job right it wouldn't have happened.

She moved back to the others, all now on the couch, Robin reading the paper, while Cyborg Played jinx in the Game; Beastboy cheering indiscriminately.

"Friends, Raven called to inform us that she will be late for dinner, the man in the shop of herbs did not prepare her order. She was most upset at him for this, and is going to stare at him until he finishes. Also jinx, she wished to say that she is most looking forward to movies."

Jinx nodded without taking her eyes from the screen,

"Thanks star, hopefully she won't send the guy to any weird dimensions…"

Starfire noticed an odd expression pass across Beastboy's face as she mentioned Raven to jinx; he stared at the pink haired girl for a moment, before shaking his head and going back to watching, quietly this time.

'Does Friend Beastboy not like Friend Jinx? No, he would have spoken up before we decided to give her the chance to join… is it about Raven? Humans are too complicated sometimes…'

Raven finally released the breath she had been holding for the entire trip home, the day had down turned so badly she half expected to be attacked on the way back, some kind of Karmic balance for making a shop assistant cry. She waited for the door to finish reading her key and confirm she was herself; Robin had finally given out about her coming and going without telling the security system so now she had to use the door like everyone else. Finally she was allowed in, and quickly made her way to the empty living room, putting the tea leaves in there proper place, she stepped through the shadows on the wall, into her own room, to place the more dangerous concoctions into a tall chemists chest, the dark walnut furniture blending easily into the gloom of her room, quickly she divided the herbs into the small drawers. Looking up through the walls to find the others when she finished.

'The roof. Cyborg must be setting up the barbeque… perfect timing, if I get any hungrier Beast boy's in danger'

Friends located, she once again stepped into the shadows, and emerged somewhere else entirely.

Robin smiled to himself as he watched his team argue. Starfire was insisting on helping Cyborg who treated his barbeques like his robotics experiments – carefully, and with no one else touching it. While Jinx helped Beastboy stuff some large mushrooms, obviously he wouldn't be eating a t bone. He glanced up as Raven shimmered into existence on the rooftop just as his frown started to form she turned, holding up her hand to cut off any comment.

"I came in the door boy wonder. I didn't promise to stop moving around inside that way. I hate the elevator."

Piece said, she moved over to the table hugging jinx from behind, placing a kiss on the taller girls shoulder as she murmured a hello to her and Beastboy, before moving over to the barbeque itself.

"Hey guys, I'm back. No fatalities I'm happy to say…"

Her eyes locked hungrily onto the plate of huge juicy steaks in front of the steel chef. If they didn't end up on the grill soon, she was eating hers raw. And possibly Beastboy.

"Um, Cy, I don't want to tell you your business, but can I get mine rare? They look good; it's a shame to grill it out of them…"

He turned, slightly surprised, raven normally had a 'whatever' approach to food, and had never asked for anything special.

"Sure Rae, we talking a bit pink, or just fell off the cow? Either's fine, just let me know!"

"Let's go for still mooing… I think that's what I'm in the mood for today…"

Jinx wandered up behind, slipping an arm around ravens cloaked waist thanks for picking up my films Rae, how did your own shopping end up? I heard you hit a snag with a shop assistant?"

The slight smile on her face was obvious in her voice as she squeezed the slightly blushing empath.

"Well, I picked up your films, stopped off and got my tea's… then I went to the apothecaries… I was there the night before we picked you up, left an order with the Peon behind the counter. Today I went in to pick it up, and it was all wrong… seriously, I order, twenty different Herbs or mixes every few months! This time he decides to try and foist off some crappy bundle on me… so I stood there and encouraged him to try again, and instructed him on what I wanted. He had the nerve to tell me to calm down!!!

So… I mentioned as politely as I could, that if some fuck hadn't gotten the herbs I need to meditate wrong, I would be very calm indeed!

Then he started to cry, and the manager asked me to step into the back office…

But I got what I wanted, and a discount!. As long as I never collect my order in person again."

Jinx was in stitches laughing as Raven finished her story, while the titans all glared at her disapprovingly, she ignored all of them until jinx controlled herself long enough to ask

"You made him cry?! Did you do the scary eyes? You did didn't you?!! You glared at him until he cried!! That's priceless… I thought you guys were supposed to teach me to be good! I'm here a few days, and Raven is reducing random citizens to tears…"

Raven blushed again slightly as jinx once again burst into laughter

"You did! I knew it! I swear Rae, if this hero stuff ever gets old, me and you can give villainy a go, you already seem to have the basics down…"

The titans all laughed a little, and moved back to their own tasks, Starfire again trying to steal the utensils from Cyborg unsuccessfully.

Finally Cyborg resorted to his old football training, and just blocked every attempt to get to the grill until people left him alone as he added the steaks in a careful order, each for a different cooking time, to finish all at once. Starfire wandered over to Jinx and Raven, who were watching the sky from the edge of the roof, just past the volley ball net.

"Friends, Cyborg has informed me that dinner will be ready in a few moments, if you wish to settle at the table, he will bring the food to you when it is ready."

Raven turned from the girl in whose arms she was currently curled up in

"Thanks Star, we'll be over in a second… listen, we were going to watch a couple of movies in Jinx's Room tonight, do you want in? Kind of a no boy's night…"

The immediate smile that brightened the rooftop more than the warm autumnal sun was all the answer that was necessary, but a huge hug was included for both girls anyway. Starfire floated back to the group giggling.

Raven turned again to jinx, smiling at the happiness such a small gesture could cause in the alien girl.

"You were right, I wouldn't have thought of asking star to join us… I guess I'm just selfish!"

Jinx grinned in return, and tightened her grip on raven's shoulders for a moment.

"No bother, we both know I'm a genius really… I figure she could use a girly night the same as us, and if we present it right, I think I can make steam come out of robin's ears before dinners done!! You in?!"

"Sure why not, boy wonder needs to be tweaked every now and then, and I miss our little morning battles… what do you think, we sell it as a total playboy pyjama party?"

Jinx laughed wickedly at raven's instant acceptance of the scheme and snuggled in closer.

"Yup, that's where I was going with it… you know; ask star what kind of pyjama's she wears-

"Then describe the skimpy little things you're going to wear?"

"Yes!. And the skimpy things you'll be wearing!! How we'll all get under one blanket for warmth… pillow fights… if robin doesn't crack, Beastboy should at least start drooling before we're done!"

Raven hugged her back, then stood offering jinx a hand up from the bench she was sprawled across.

"And yet you tell us you aren't evil anymore… I see through you!"

"What's your excuse? I think you just like the idea of messing with the boy's heads!"

"… That's different. I'm a Demoness, we're supposed to tempt people, if I don't do this every now and then they'll throw me out of the union…"

Jinx giggled as she started to walk to the table, ravens deadpan delivery was always so perfect for ridiculous lines… it was part of the reason she liked her so much…

Cyborg sat at the table last, first he had made sure everyone's dinner was ok, served everyone their personalised order set the baked potatoes out and even fetched beast boy's stuffed mushrooms, which actually looked nice, since he had finally decided that tofu wasn't the only thing a vegan could eat. As he sat he tuned into the seemingly innocent conversation floating back and forth across the group, oddly it was on women's underwear, and even more oddly it wasn't between Beastboy and Robin…

Speaking of those two, it looked like they were about to crack, robin was looking at Starfire, then the couple sitting very close together at the other side then the table. His face seemed to be counting up the cold showers this dinner was going to cost him but he would probably fight anyone who tried to make him leave.

Poor BB, he was gone for the count… eating on autopilot; he looked like Mad Mod had got him again, completely zoned out on whatever R rated version of the sort of innocent talk wafting past him his brain could conjure.

Finally he looked at the girls, Starfire was very enthusiastic, but that was a given, anyway this was a little subtle; her last prank was throwing a sleeping Beastboy like a catapult and waking him half way to the bay.

Raven… Raven had her trademark Bland expression, but she was keeping up with the talk, and even offering the odd saucy idea, even if she looked innocent when she was doing it.

Jinx… Jinx looked like the cat that was going to be in bed with two other gorgeous cats, and was going to tease the boys about it until they snapped. Definitely her idea, but Raven was in on it for sure, strangely the idea of teasing so much, without seeming to be doing anything didn't seem too far from her usual dry sarcasm.

Cyborg just decided it was best to stay away from the whole situation, but caught himself laughing as jinx offered to show Beastboy what sounded like a mythically small top, making the green boys eyes cross as he blushed and tried to stammer a polite refusal under Ravens glare.

Laughing as it turned out, was an error.

"Something funny Cy? Don't you think she would suit that kind of top? I'm sure she would look lovely in it…"

Raven, as always, was the one to catch on to him observing them, and immediately dropped him in front of the firing squad.

"Yes friend Cyborg, do you not believe friend Jinx to be attractive in the skimpy clothes? I believe you two did the dating once before true?"

Raven was going to pay for that. Now both of them were pestering him for reasons jinx wouldn't look gorgeous in anything she pleased. So Cyborg took the manly way out. Run like a girly man on the pretence of doing the dishes. Even robin cracked a smile as he left, the poker faced youth was just glad the conversation was no longer inviting him to ogle Starfire; it was hard to stare when he didn't seem to have permission! And it just wasn't ok for a leader to do such things with a team mate it was ok for Jinx and Raven, they wouldn't have to be responsible for ordering each other into danger.

After a while, and a few discrete yawns around the table, the girls stood and headed off; each to her own corner of the tower to get sorted for the night.

Raven found herself really looking forward to the opportunity, it wasn't fair to exclude Starfire, after all the girl had been her friend for a long time, and now that raven could do such things it was nice to include her, and not simply lock herself away with jinx – however appealing that sounded.

In short order the three were tucked into jinx's bed – that bit of info at least was true, Raven sat in the middle, partly to be warm, partly to stop jinx from being tempted into any inappropriate jokes, they provisions were looking grim until jinx checked and found beastboys room "unlocked" and promptly stole all of his sweets and soft drinks, leaving a note with a list and a promise to replace the lot.

Jinx was feeling entirely pleased with herself, a spur of the moment plan was turning out very nicely indeed; the mood was completely relaxed, only a few giggles and requests for far away snacks broke over the movie, they had decided to watch young Frankenstein first and it turned out Starfire was a huge Mel Brooks fan.

Even with a great movie, most of jinx's entertainment was derived from watching raven, seeing her face relax from emotionless, to a calm, serene expression was heart warming, and the look of alarm when Starfire – oblivious to the earlier joking _actually did_ turn up in the worlds smallest blush pink silk short-shorts and tank top, then proceed to dive under the covers and cuddle raven close enough to touch skin from shoulder to knees.

Jinx knew she could get weeks of teasing out of the obvious enjoyment, then lust then mortification that shot across ravens face – obviously she really _hadn't_ ever thought of Starfire that way…

'Can't say that anymore can she?'

Jinx came to the rescue – which was unlike her, by lying on the other side, and pulling raven closer to herself, leaving Starfire close, but not scandalously so. Once the movie really got started, it was a joy to watch raven laugh herself to tears at the antics of Igor and the doctor.

'I guess she never watched a comedy without all her emotional armour before… weird, to be all grown up but never just sat and laughed… poor baby… anyway, we'll fix that'

The film ended, and with the only damage being to the snacks – a mars bar had exploded during the dance scene when raven attempted to stop herself from laughing, but once she just let it out, everything smoothed over. Starfire yawned, as she had been for a while, but requested a romantic film, or one with music next, with a slow smile jinx nudged Raven.

"Umm… I'm warm. You change the disks…"

"What? I'm warm too… and you're closer, and know a good film, I wouldn't know what to choose…"

Jinx found herself unable to top this blatant evasion, and the matter was settled when Starfire leaned over a now furiously blushing raven, who had her eyes - momentarily exposed to Tamaran's most popular exports - screwed shut, and settled the issue by pushing jinx off the bed before returning to her cuddled position on the red faced empath.

Jinx landed with an ungraceful squawk and a thump, stood rubbing her pyjama clad bottom as she shambled over to the pile of DVD's clustered next to what a reasonable person would think was Cyborg's spare Plasma TV. With as much dignity as a person rubbing their bottom could muster, she chose to ignore the girls sitting giggling in her bed, as she changed disks putting in the next, then running back to dig under the covers, luckily with an extra body warming the bed, raven wasn't as horrible a covers hog.

The movie began in black and white, a cityscape, obviously not modern or science fiction.

"What did you put on Friend Jinx? Is it a romance?"

"You're a real sucker for romance Star aren't you? It is actually, Raven asked me what the music was like today so it was sticking out in my head… it's the new-ish movie version of the phantom of the opera…"

Starfire just smiled and nodded at the question.

"Yes… there is … very little like your romance on Tamaran, our way is simple, and has less worries, but rarely involves a beautiful gesture or songs… it is something that confuses me, but I believe I would like it if H- if someone were to try it on me."

"Both pale girls exchanged a glance and a grin at the near admission, but said nothing, she'd say it when she was ready and not before.

Again the talking was kept to a minimum during the film, except for jinx half singing softly, half singing in her head through all the songs, apparently she knew the whole score… Starfire was amazed, and Raven touched, she could after all here even the parts in her head, and knew that singing was something the girl would only ever attempt if she was totally comfortable with those around her.

After the film, a tear filled Starfire left the room sleepily; still arguing that Christine had gone with the wrong man, after all the Phantom had defeated his rival completely. The two girls left bid her goodnight slightly confused at the way the girls mind reached conclusions.

Raven reached out with her will, switching off the TV and DVD player without moving a blanket, job done she hit the lights the same way and curled into jinx's shoulder, bidding her goodnight sleepily.

"You mean you aren't running off too? I thought you might want to watch star walk away some more…"

Jinx it seemed could tease raven in her sleep, since every word was delivered with her eyes closed, though her voice was light and playful.

She cracked open one eye, shortly receiving a thump in the shoulder from a slightly embarrassed raven.

"It's your fault!! I never thought about her like that before! Then you had to talk about her chest! Your right! Its hypnotic! Then you had to get her to wear something slinky and wrap around me… I swear you're worse than Beastboy… I know what you thought when she arrived remember!"

Jinx smiled, she had a feeling making raven babble incoherently was something to be proud of…

"Ah you only know what I thought because you thought it too… its ok to lust after an attractive person, even a friend… just don't touch!"

Raven murmured an agreement and kissed jinx softly,

"Why would I need anyone else Pinky when I have you?!"

"…Well, theres this thing where one girl holds up-"

Another thump ended that sentence if not the thought behind it, but raven could see the cheeky grin that seemed to be firmly nailed onto jinx's mind, let alone her face. The two settled against each other and curled into sleep.

Robin sat alone in the main room, he loved this time of night, ever since he began his life as robin, he had operated best at night – overtraining perhaps, but even though he had operated during the day for years as leader of the titans, the voice of his trainer, which always seemed to colour his most brilliant deductive thinking, his most brilliant strategies in his own mind- was always stronger at night.

That thought hurt him strangely… he always meant to visit Gotham again, it was his home for years, although he was born on the road but when the holidays rolled around, they always seemed so important to the team, and were always so disregarded where he had begun… every time the choice to return was pushed back. That was unlike robin and he knew it, and his logical mind forced him to admit, he didn't want the feeling of being _part_ of a team anymore, he liked being the _leader_ – something that would never happen in Gotham.

His increasingly self analytical thoughts were interrupted by the click of the fridge door to his left, behind his shoulder. As he turned he analysed it; overtraining was a constant friend after all…

'No footsteps, cuts out the boys. No greeting or teasing, so not jinx… Rae or Star.'

He finished turning and for once pulled a Beastboy. His jaw hung low, and his brain seemed to be off somewhere singing 'Daisy Daisy' to itself… there was a pair of incredibly long legs sticking out of the fridge. He recognised them of course; he stared at them everyday 'Looked!! I look!!!' but he never saw so much of them! And of course, legs are famous for having their bottom at the top… and again, he recognised it… but it was normally hidden behind a semi metallic skirt, which though tight, wasn't form fitting, now… there may or may not have been shorts, he wasn't sure, and his hands wanted to check. A lot.

The object of his ogling straightened and turned toward him, long red hair that he now hated hid the focus of his gaze as Starfire turned and met his eyes… well… looked at his eyes anyway, the boy wonders attention was elsewhere…

It turned out that another alien biology question had been answered that night, what happens when you put the chest of a warm and barely dressed Tamaranian in the fridge? Answer: same thing as any girl. And this answer seemed to be staring robin in the face. Or at least pointing accusingly. Finally decency and self preservation ganged up on naked lust and managed to wheel his head up a few degree's to see her eyes.

"h-… hey star, um… midnight snack?!"

Starfire glanced at the thick lump of Tamaranian meat coated in mustard, clenched in one fist, and blushed daintily; it was the size of a good steak.

"Yes, I am just returning from the watching of the movies… I was not aware you would be up… I… I will be going to my room now, goodnight friend robin…"

The thoughts of the boy waving goodnight to her absently were conflicted at best, in all honesty it's probable some brain ran out of his ears as she walked away, her curly hair swung with every step she took, by turns revealing and hiding the greatest body he had ever seen. And in his young life, he had seen some of the best offerings women's form could muster…

The thoughts could be roughly grouped, according to why they were shouting in his brain

The thoughts of the team leader seemed to disapprove of her wandering the tower like that, after all she just proved she could feel cold!, and seemed to be annoyed with his own reaction, team leaders can't romance their team members…

The thoughts of the boy behind the mask just seemed to be in some kind of screaming duet, alternating chorus's of 'Kiss her! Chase her!!' and 'too late she just wants to be friends!!!' ran around his mind like kids on sugar.

The last group just sat in his brain, like the seventeen year old he was, ogling her from behind once again the only thought it could muster was 'with her hair moving like that… its like her butt's waving goodnight… goodnight Starfires butt, see you soon I hope…'

After an admirably short ninety seconds of waving at a closed door, he pulled himself together.

'Quick night time jog… then a swim in the bay. Cold shower and then bed. Failing that I'm going to have to ask raven for one of those mirror's…'


	7. Dance Dance Revolution!

Dance Dance revolution!

The next weeks passed in a slow blur, each day seeming to drag on pleasurably even though the calendar shed dates in a hurry, even crime was on a holiday it seemed, there had been no metahuman criminals since Jinx joined, which she of course claimed responsibility for the girls settled quickly into the kind of disgusting couple that seem to act as one, Beastboy even went as far as checking for Borg implants, which earned him alone time atop a flagpole too scared to come down. The sight or a grinning raven with a waffle iron and a nut cracker had nothing to do with his reluctance he later claimed.

The disturbing prison break of mumbo jumbo had settled down, security was reviewed, and still stumped; it appeared to be his greatest trick, and the newest obstacle between robin and a full nights rest. Especially when his network of allies and stool pigeons began to report other disappearances and parole jumps – all were artefact dealers or smugglers, petty magicians and illusionists.

The quickly forming theme of magic related criminals vanishing put everyone on edge, but weeks of quiet were beginning to dull even robin's vigilance.

The living room was as always, noisy, even though only two people were using it as robin entered – Starfire was watching that hideous music channel aimed at twelve year old girls with lobotomies and dancing in time with her giggles on the couch.

More oddly jinx was slumped at the kitchen table, reading an ominous tome, which if robin was looking right, glowed faintly as she held it. Looking at the pale girls face she was obviously miles away even though she was usually surprisingly diligent when it came to working her way through Ravens Spell books.

Jinx looked up in shock as a hand touched her shoulder, cursing herself mentally for dropping her guard – even in her new home, she should know what's going on around her…

Finally she managed to meet robin's eyes, well mask, as he looked at her, concern obvious in his posture.

"You ok Jinx? You look kinda down, and that's just weird! Normally by this hour I'm trying to get Valium in your tea…"

Smiling slightly at his joke – it wasn't funny but robins sense of humour was fragile after all, she shrugged.

"I'm fine, I just got stuck into this new book, and well, ok some of it is really freaky – I mean bad bad things! It's not from Ravens moms' side of the family you understand? But some of these spells and hexes look really close to stuff I do already or stuff I've been thinking about trying with my powers, and today's Ravens day off from reality – really annoying when I'm dying for a magic talk…"

Robin looked warily at the demonic book, now he noticed how it was carefully turned so he couldn't actually see the pages, or what was glowing. He wasn't very happy about it being in his house, but frankly Raven had adopted a 'don't ask don't tell' policy on her books years ago – she never told, so don't bother asking. So he wasn't going to start now, Ravens days off were becoming less frequent – they were the days she needed to meditate for long periods and use her mirror, but the actual process was longer now – she left after breakfast, and wouldn't be seen again until tomorrow. Needless to say this always put jinx in a foul mood.

The boy wonder just nodded to the girl as he wandered off, surreptitiously using the spare remote he kept in his utility belt to kill the volume on the teeny bop as he fetched a drink before settling into his computer desk – it was a lot easier to work in the main rooms when Cyborg and Beastboy had a patrol sweep – it was amazing how quiet the tower was without them.

The peaceful scene held for over an hour – something of a record in a house with six teens, before an incoming video call interrupted Robins work – a very important game of solitaire – when he answered he was shocked to find himself speaking to the Mayors aide.

The face of a very pretty woman in her thirties filled the monitor, her eyes slightly squinting from behind a veil of red hair as she attempted to work the unfamiliar video caller, obviously unaware that robin had picked up already.

"Mrs. Kavanagh? What can the Titans do for you? Is their trouble?!"

She started violently at the boy's voice, again forgetting he could see her, she looked around no one liked being addressed by name before they had introduced themselves on the phone.

"ahem, actually Robin, I'm calling to do something for you – this last period of calm in the city is exactly what the city council was going for when we agreed to fund your team, you've been doing great work with no thanks or perks, so we decided to make you guys the guests of honour at the cities charity Hallowe'en party! invites are on the way, but frankly just let us know if any of you want to bring a few friends or dates, we'll make sure their names are on the list… it's a costume party, on the 31st – well obviously on the 31st! But I don't think you guys will have trouble finding anything to wear right?!"

As robin drew breath to politely decline she dazzled him with a professional smile

"Great! We'll see you there! The charity tickets are going to fetch a great price this year if you guys are on the cards! Really, it'll help the re-housing project hugely!"

With that last burst of manic enthusiasm she waved goodbye and cut the connection, leaving the boy wonder with his head on his desk groaning.

It took a few minutes before anyone paid attention to the teen drama queen, but luckily Starfire and Jinx were far too curious to be considered healthy and both eventually wandered over to see what was wrong.

As Starfire looked around for the source of his discomfort, jinx leapt to the heart of the issue, poking robin in the ribs with one thin finger viciously until he sat up and glared at her, it wasn't easy considering her Cheshire cat grin dominated her face – it was difficult to hold eye contact without the feeling that her teeth were watching.

"What's up Doc? Hair gel out of stock? Ladder in your tights? Realise somebody drew a lone ranger mask on your face years ago and no one told you??!"

Gritting his teeth slightly as Starfire giggled softly, he shook his head

"We just got roped into the charity Hallowe'en party this year; I've dodged it since the team formed! This year they cheated and are holding it in our honour!"

Jinx and Starfire both let out squeaks of glee and jumped up and down, delighted at the prospect of a big fancy party Starfire threw her arms around robin pressing against his back – jinx smirked noticing the alien girl was doing this kind of thing more and more lately – and as the alien girl laughed prettily she managed to ask the obvious question:

"What is a Hallowe'en?? And why are we celebrating it? Does it require special foods?"

Jinx rolled her eyes… 'Of course anyone using robin as a guide to humanity wouldn't know about such a fun holiday…she must have been her for it a few times now!'

Robin cleared his throat before answering the alien girl lying on his back and shoulders

"Its an old holiday Starfire – I think it started in Ireland, it used to be celebrated as the night where spirits and magic creatures got closest to earth and could interact with the living – now it's a night where people get dressed up in fun costumes and have parties – kids go trick or treating around to other peoples houses in costumes and get loads of candy… we were on Tamaran for it a few years ago, oh, and last year Trigon conquered earth, so we didn't get to go out anywhere…"

Jinx blinked. Apparently he had a perfectly good reason for not showing her the holiday, hell the last two involved actual attempts at world domination! She detached Starfire from robins shoulders and led her to the next terminal, intent on showing off a few costume ideas to the princess, it was evil, but if she got Starfire excited enough Robin wouldn't try and weasel his way out of this, after all who would turn down the chance to see Star in some of the incredibly sluttish costumes she was about to let robin see her showing star?!

Quickly finding the kind of site she needed, she gradually decreased the amount of material in the outfits she showed the alien to give her the idea of the holiday, noticing robins glazed expression at a few of them with a small smile…

That night, Raven landed on her feet in her own room, utterly exhausted, but with the happy tranquillity she needed – her emotions were, even she admitted the kind of company you liked in small doses, each was very intense in different ways, and her urges to strangle happy didn't help keep rage under control... a week of night patrols and jinx's studies meant that Libido had a screaming fit waiting just for Raven when she arrived as well… the idea of some of the things she had to agree to suggest just to placate the emotion made her blush 'it just worse when you realise that the absolute filth monger your chatting with is you… I need to wash my brain out with soap. And never let jinx into my mind… she'd either love it or never forgive me…'

She plodded out of her room, moving down the corridor to say hello and goodnight to her girl, she liked to at least try and see her once a day. Knocking politely, she whispered

"It's me" to the door; jinx's hearing was very good after all, safecrackers ears she called it.

The door slid open to reveal jinx still fully dressed – odd since it was about 2 am – with a pile of old books and notes on her desk, the little lamp was the only light source – like Raven she usually forgot to turn on the lights when she entered a room.

Raven greeted her with a small hug, her movements were leaving a trail of shadows, like after images; jinx knew this was a sign that Raven was bone tired, it meant that her soulself was basically leaking out, nothing harmful, but very disconcerting the first few times she had seen it.

"Hey Pinky, just dropped by to say hello and goodnight… can't seem to sleep right without a kiss these days…"

The whole sentence was drawled out in a fond whisper, halfway to a yawn, which was now splitting the empaths face, jinx found herself yawning in reply then shook herself, she hated when that happened!!

"Hey babe, glad to see you made it out… I know you have to deal with some crazy ladies in there! Wouldn't want 'em to keep you…"

Jinx smiled as raven finally finished what must have been a very satisfying yawn and kissed her lightly on the lips.

"We're not crazy, my camel Millicent assured us we're fine… not my fault the rest of you got stuck with one personality each! Anything happen while I was out? ... In? While I was gone?"

Again jinx smiled and laughed softly being tired brought out ravens very odd sense of humour, though she was sure no one else ever saw it…

"Robin got beaten by the nice lady in city hall; we're all being forced to go to the Hallowe'en costume ball! Seriously it was like she shot a puppy out of a cannon; at more puppies… never seen him so horrified… what is it with him and having fun?!"

Raven caught an odd feeling while jinx was talking… almost nostalgia…

"Jinx… when did you build a Puppy cannon??"

The innocent smile she met on asking that was as good as an admission of guilt, and it faltered in the face of her glare…

"I admit to nothing!! But hypothetically speaking, my best hypothetical opportunity to do such a horrible thing would have been the Psychological warfare mid terms… got points for tying it in with out doomsday weapons lectures… Hypothetically…"

"You actually constructed a device for hurling cute animals at the enemy at high speed?! And this was considered a doomsday weapon?!"

"No, I constructed a trap, that when someone tripped it, fired _their_ cute pet at high speed!! You'd be surprised the damage it could do… and the expression on someone's face when Mr. Tinkles takes off… it was like hardcore Looney toons…

And actually it was failing until I set it up in one of the guard's rooms and videotaped his response; only A I ever got in Psych class…"

"Great… I'm dating a mad scientist… it's a good thing animals hate me or that little trip down memory lane would have cost you a lot of sex… oh, speaking of which… do some stretches or something tomorrow night!! I made a few promises to myself today that ma require alcohol and in one case, one of us to have a wooden leg…"

The two girls, now snuggled comfortably, jinx sitting with raven leaning over her shoulders to hug her loosely, both finally cracked at this and laughed at the others attempt to make each other laugh first. Raven tightened her grip for a moment, before controlling herself enough to speak again.

"Anyway, costume party? … Not really my thing… actually parties in general aren't my thing… I might offer to patrol or something"

Jinx looked back, smiling sweetly at her wallflower.

"Nope!! We're going! In wonderful costumes! I've never gotten to go to anything like this and neither have you, it's a nice thing to be invited to, and I wanna be able to dance with you in a crowd… like a normal couple you know?"

Raven groaned inwardly – most people in a relationship had their weaknesses, a tone of voice or an expression they couldn't resist, but in her case she also had to deal with the feel of jinx's moods, and she simply couldn't stop herself agreeing to whatever it was to remove that wistful feeling from her lovers mind. It was unfair really; and the proud owner of the pet cannon wasn't above abusing the odd advantage to get her own way…

"Fine!! But I'm picking my own costume! It won't reveal anything I don't show off normally, and you won't see it until the party. You know unless your name is cleared in the next what? Nine days, we won't be able to kiss or anything when we're there right? Don't get your hopes up or anything… I know its going well, but it's only fifty fifty if it's going to happen by then…"

Jinx gasped slightly, raven was more tired than she thought if she was giving away info on the progress of lifting the parole, normally it was the one topic she wouldn't touch, and jinx hadn't dared hoped it would have any chance of being lifted so soon!

Raven caught her mistake when she felt the surge of surprise and elation from jinx, and after cursing herself for a moment she spoke up.

"Yes, it's going that well. I'm really singing your praises in the meetings, and robin was very helpful as well, he has laid out all the info you've given on the HIVE graduates, as well as their tech, and some of the measures you've recommended have been taken up by the SWAT team, hell even the special crimes units in Metropolis and Gotham PD have taken one or two under advisement for containment and transport… you've helped improve our training regime and security… frankly for the last two meetings we've pointed out that you not being a full titan is actually hurting the city, since you don't have access to a lot of data we do, you can't help out in those situations, and we can't make you a full titan till they sign off on it…"

"So… I could be a real live super hero soon? Cool! And even better, I get to do girlfriend-y stuff with you properly!! Dates and stuff!"

Jinx seemed to freeze as she babbled and turned to raven with a more guarded look in her eyes then raven was used to seeing, even worse, she vanished from ravens empathic senses, her defences were getting stronger all the time now…

"You, you don't mind, I mean-"

Raven smiled and hugged her affectionately, trying to reassure her.

"No jinx, I don't mind! I would love to be seen in public with you! I'm not in the closet, its just nobodies ever asked… I wouldn't dream of keeping you my dirty little secret…"

"I'm a dirty secret?!"

The hollow look had vanished, replaced by relief and a slow smile, met with a grin and a shrug from raven.

"Hey I've seen some of the thoughts you haven't mentioned… your definitely a dirty secret!! Now, I'm off to my own bed, if I don't get ten hours I'm going to wake up in possession of my whole room again"

A slight shudder ran through her at the memory of waking in a room completely encased in her soulself, since she felt everything as if was a part of her, it had taken a quarter of an hour to figure which parts were her body, and which parts were furnishings, it was one of the reasons she meditated or practiced in the mornings to gain a sense of her own body.

With a chaste kiss goodnight, they separated and each went and prepared for bed.

The next morning was a hive of activity, oddly none of it centred on criminals, each of the titans had privately decided to have the best costume – although robin was worried about keeping his mask on, and Beastboy was sitting on the couch looking smug.

Finally robin snapped

"Why do you look so happy?! What costume are you wearing?!"

The green teen, obviously delighted to have gotten under the boy wonders skin turned with a grin crossing from ear to pointy ear.

"Costume? Dude… I'm a shape shifter… we don't need no stinking costumes… I bought everything I needed this morning in town. Took like five minutes…"

Gritting his teeth at the smug reply, robin paced away to his study which shockingly was locked. Since he had the only key this was a bit upsetting, as he banged on the door and hit the buzzer he had installed so the others could ask to be let in, a small pool of shadow melted through at head height. After a moment ravens hooded face pushed through.

"What? I'm busy. Go away."

Piece obviously said, she began to retreat, but robin caught the edge of her hood before it disappeared.

"Raven?! How did you get in there?! Why did you get in there?! What's going on?!"

The odd look on his face was priceless, but raven decided to be nice.

"I'm putting together a costume, and this is the only room in the tower Jinx can't break into – since she helped design the security. Luckily since I can jump entire dimensions, a big door doesn't keep me out. Seriously, she's half cat – as soon as she found out she couldn't see my costume it's become the only thing on her mind, she's going to drive me crazy, and she picked my bedroom door twice this morning!! So, I've decided to steal your study."

Robin just found himself nodding, he could see jinx becoming unbearable if she knew someone was holding a secret… Starfire had already asked him a few times as well

It was taking an odd amount of ingenuity to hide anything from her.

"Ok Raven, just don't touch any of my instruments, a lot of them are very delicate, it would take me days to recalibrate them."

The pale girl's eyes were just visible, rolling at his parting words.

"Its ok robin I won't use your coffee machine…"

With the last word, her visible form faded to intense shadow and floated back through robin's hand, then the door. Leaving the boy wonder trying to work some warmth back into his fingers as he worried over his babies' safety with the dark titan.

The next week passed in much the same way, each titan did their best to find out about the others, while hiding their own, aside from the patrols which were now down to stopping purse snatchers and muggings; the only news of note was that Speedy, one of the titans east was going to be visiting soon.

Finally the day of the party arrived. Hallowe'en started off like most days in the tower, Robin and raven rose early, for once their breakfast was civil, Raven even made him some of his special coffee, he still wasn't allowed into his study and missed it terribly.

Sitting comfortably the two looked each other over.

"So Rae, get everything you needed for your costume? We could get some last minute shopping done if you need to…"

"I have it organised, there is one or two things I need to do, but I have all the materials…

I need you to distract jinx today… I'm going to sign off on her paperwork this morning and she doesn't know… I'm going to surprise her at the party…"

Robin grinned; she had been working flat out to get jinx into the clear, and had resorted to getting testimonies from all of the titans, when you include reserves, that was a lot. When Beastboy had dragged his heels, she threatened to steal his thumbs.

"I'm glad that it's paying off… if you want I'll tell her you're going to get our itinerary for tonight from city hall…"

"Thanks Robin, I owe you…"

"In that case… could you pick up our itinerary from city hall? I hate driving down there, never any parking…"

The level gaze he received wiped up his grin fairly quickly, but he still felt as if he had managed to win a morning, that was always worth a smile.

"Oh, Rae? Speedy is arriving today, so you might want to tell Jinx, let's not have her killing the intruder… and tell her to get her name up on her door, she's in the room he used last time he was here."

"I remember, he walked into mine 'by accident' twice…. Randy little bugger."

The morning passed quickly, everyone's rush to finish meant beast boy and Cyborg had breakfast separately so even the arguments didn't happen. Jinx was resting on the couch, she had applied the finishing touches to her mask, and her costume was finished two days ago, so now the plan was to mooch until further notice. Raven was being sent to city hall, and then would probably lock herself away again. Jinx wouldn't mind, but the sneaky empath had added serious mystical seals to the doors and now she had no chance of picking the locks.

She glanced up from her mild coma to see a nervous Starfire glancing at an odd clock that seemed to have been brought from her own room and left on the table.

"What's up Star? You going somewhere?"

"Yes friend Jinx, it is my delivery day, and my costume is arriving in a half tec. I must go and meet them, I will return soon."

With her confusing statement finished the young girl walked out of the room, and jinx could just about make out her form lifting straight into the sky through the huge windows.

Robin wandered into the room shortly after talking over his shoulder to raven who floated with a cloth wrapped bundle held to her chest. They both smiled at jinx, who was by now upside down on the couch in a vain attempt to make reality TV more interesting.

Robin sat next to her carefully taking the remote she was balancing on the sole of her right foot, while attempting to change the channels with the toes of her left.

He looked at her as she tried to get comfortable, shaking his head slightly he decided to distract himself from this latest insanity.

"Where's Star? I thought I heard her around a while ago…"

"She said it was her delivery day, and she would return soon, where does she get deliveries from? I've never seen her get any packages delivered here…"

Robin just grinned, she gets, well their kind of like care packages from home – you know she's royalty right? They send her 'real food' I'd say a lot of the stuff she makes us is her version of Caviar – serious rich people food… but the merchant who makes the drops can't land on earth so she goes up to meet him… her people don't even need to dress warmly to go into a vacuum"

Jinx looked mildly stunned at the thought of just nipping into space for the shopping, but soon shrugged it off.

"Guess I should have known… I mean where else would she get it?!"

Raven leaned over the couch, and finding her girlfriend upside down, shrugged and hugged jinx's legs, planting a kiss on her calf.

"Hey, I'm going to be a few hours more, I want to meditate until the party, if I'm going to be surrounded by strangers and alcohol I'll need the control… I'll see you there ok?

Oh, and speedy is coming today, ask Robin about him, but I warn you now, he will attempt to sleep with you. And probably me. Maybe Starfire."

She straightened and collected the small bundle and walked straight through the door of robins study, not even bothering with a key.

Alone at last, Raven settled at the work bench she had adopted for her costume, carefully she moved the soft material to one side, she had only finished the stitching the night before.

Unwrapping the bundle carefully she was left staring at two things the bundle of papers which declared jinx a free woman, completely out of the justice system – she had forged Jinx's signature admittedly but what was one felony amongst lovers?

She would leave the papers in Jinx's room before she left the tower. Her attention was drawn to the second item, a perfectly translucent white porcelain mask, in the shape of a face, but completely featureless, no eyes broke through, no mouth or nose disturbed the pale surface, when she finished that would all be very different.

The mask was the most ordered and difficult piece of spell craft she had ever undertaken – it had nothing to do with her own powers and required pure magical strength and finesse to create, the finishing touches would mark her journeyman's piece as a sorceress if it succeeded.

Calming herself, she placed it before her, resting on a bank of her own power at the perfect angle; she reached out to pick up the ebony stylus, and with a swift motion pierced her fingertip. Using the small bead of blood on the tip she settled in to work, carefully creating the marks on the surface as she recited the words from the lore of change.

Any other viewing this scene would swiftly be driven mad, the dancing lights and colours her words summoned revealed shapes and forms in the air, the room was filled with the susurrus of whispered truths and secrets, only one as disciplined as the half demon in the centre could withstand such unreality.

Jinx frowned on the couch… for the last few days she had been getting a weird feeling for a few hours, then it disappeared, raven hadn't noticed anything and she could smell dark magic, so jinx was sure it was just her going nuts. But still, it was like a sound that she couldn't place…

"Can you feel that?"

Robin glanced back at her, he was busy watching a humming Starfire moving small crates from the roof, back to her room – he had offered to help, but wasn't able to lift them, she explained that all the boxes were heavily armoured in case the delivery needed them to just be dropped from orbit, and even she found them heavy, but still, it stung to have a cute girl out lift you when your seventeen.

"No Jinx, I can't feel anything… do you think star has her costume in one of those?"

She glanced at the heavy containers, since she had no idea what the alien was going as it was possible.

"Sure, but I wouldn't even know where to start on opening them… not to mention I'm afraid of what could be in there…"

"I wasn't suggesting Burglary!!! I was asking a question! You've got to stop thinking like that Jinx!!"

"Why, how does the pretty little lady think?!"

Both turned at this, to see a tall red headed boy, robin's age and build leaning against the door to the roof, duffle bags at his feet, and a bow on his back.

"Speedy? You're early… come on in man, you've never met, but this is Jinx, she's joining the team once some stuff is sorted… Jinx this is Speedy, we left him into titans east because he threatened to stop wearing pants otherwise."

The redhead just grinned, almost a twin of Jinx's "Hey that wasn't a threat; it was like an election promise… 'Vote for Speedy! See me with no pants!!"

Robin laughed, and nodded "I remember the posters… I think Aqualad kept them afterward…"

Speedy tactfully ignored this, and sidled up to Jinx, his grin was so cheesy it looked like it could nudge someone in the ribs and wink independently.

"So… how did they get you into this nut house? Pick the winner of a beauty pageant? Wanna see my arrows?"

Jinx grinned back, and leaned in, now as close as a conspirator to his ear.

"Well, actually it was all about the CV… Arson, Grand theft, Bank Robbery, Car jacking, Jewel heists, Assault and battery, Mercenary contracts… really I'm just great at interviews…"

He blinked a bit taken aback, but he wouldn't be a hero if he was discouraged easily after all…

He threw one arm over her shoulder and laughed.

"Good at interviews huh? Must have some great interpersonal skills, want to go for coffee, compare methods?"

Very tactfully considering she had told the truth about her CV, she removed his arm neatly and stepped back.

"Actually, I think we're just not compatible… I'm not on your team if you get me…"

With that she nodded to robin, and started to wander off in the direction of the living quarters

"I need to finish up my stuff for tonight, call me when we're headed out, I'll come down and join you."

Speedy thumped Robins shoulder lightly.

"She's mine… so mine. She already wants on my team!! You heard her… man Rob, you better lock up the girls you want to keep, I'm so hot they're all gonna follow me home!"

Robin thought about correcting the mistake his cocky friend was making. But then decided that letting him off would be hilarious.

"You know, for a guy called 'speedy' you're pretty sure you can keep the ladies happy…"

"Well Robby Poo, not all of us can spend years lining up an alien love goddess!! And you know I'm called that because I can notch an arrow so fast!!"

"Sure sure… it's cause you shoot quick I get it…"

"Hey! Stop making it sound like that!! What am I thirteen! That's it! To the Gym! We're going to settle this the old fashioned way!"

The two argued their way from the living room, for all the world resembling a filthy version of Beastboy and Cyborg.

Cyborg was finally done. He was happy with the costume, it had taken him a few days of research to get started, but finally he caved and borrowed some of raven's historical books, a soft knock at his door startled him, and he swiftly tossed a clean dust cloth over the finished product on his desk before unlocking his door and opening it.

Starfire was on the other side, trying to look around him politely, stopping as he waved her into his workshop and closed the door.

"Friend Cyborg? I wish to borrow a polishing cloth, and perhaps some fine polish? Do you have such a thing?"

He relaxed; for once he knew what she was talking about…

"Sure Star, is it for a hard metal or soft? I have both, but I wouldn't want to wreck something if I give you the wrong one…"

She looked thoughtful for a moment, then reached out and picked up a spare piece of arm housing he had been working a dent out of.

Attempting to flex the metal briefly she put it back, apparently satisfied.

"It is as hard as you are friend Cyborg, but can take a very high shine."

The tall teen blinked, not many things on earth were as hard as his armour. Of course Starfire had more options than that… reaching up to the shelf he pulled down a box used for keeping his car neat.

"Here, use the soft polishing wheel – this one – and this compound first, it'll look kinda dirty, but you just rub it down, and then work in this oil by hand with the cloth, it'll sparkle. If anything goes wrong, call me I'll bring up some other kinds…"

She gave him her brilliant smile, and hugged him briefly

"Thank you my friend! I was worried when I saw it, but you have saved the day!"

Giggling the girl floated from the room, back toward her own quarters. Cyborg just smiled and wandered over to his pc, he was looking for some technical specs on the batmobile or even just some decent pictures, it was considered the holy grail of super modified cars, and just asking robin seemed wrong somehow.

The day continued quickly, since everyone was avoiding each other as they prepared it was conflict free, Beastboy in particular hadn't been seen since breakfast. When the time finally arrived, the titans decided to leave separately, each wanting to savour the moment when the rest saw the costume. Robin and speedy both took motorcycles though separately, it was only when Robin got to the motor pool that he noticed two things. A note; and the complete absence of Johnny Rancid's bike.

"Dear robin,

Have stolen borrowed the cool black and red bike in the corner. The keys were in it before you ask. See you at the party, Jinx.

Clenching his teeth briefly he decided to let it go, after all, it wasn't his bike, and she could probably ride it better than the original owner…

He put the note back on the bench holding the keys to the various vehicles; he just put on his helmet carefully and got his own bike. It would be pointless trying to convince the girl borrowing a bike was wrong.

Starfire and Beastboy left next, each flying out of their bedroom windows, Starfire muffled in a long cloak or coat, he as a dark albatross carrying a small cloth bundle.

Cyborg smiled as he noticed the security said he and Raven were the last two in the tower, his costume had to be put on here, and he didn't want to walk to the car with it on. Feeling more secure now, he hurried to the car, quickly pulling out and speeding to the party, he wanted to beat as many of the others there as he could, so he could see them arrive.

Raven glanced up from her seated position, mid air. She was already wearing most of her costume, only the mask remained, it floated in front of her seemingly unchanged from this morning, with a deep breath she reached out and pick it up. Placing her feet on the ground, she allowed the costume to settle around her, it was reassuringly long – she never felt right without a cloak or robe on, but was very far from what she would normally wear. Moving to the desk, she activated robin's computer, tracking the others.

She wanted to arrive last, and see the reactions when she did.

Clearing her mind as she noticed the last of the signals arrive at the destination, she placed the simple seeming mask on her face, it held there, with no obvious support for a moment, then just as she settled into the darkness, it could be seen to twist and change.

Outside the party, jinx was the first to arrive, she waited a moment, lurking in the darkness, she wanted at lest one titan there to vouch for her if she got stopped. With a grin she noticed the T car pulling into the underground car park, counting to ten to let him park, she started forward, the instant the light struck her costume it seemed to light up and move of its own accord. Cyborg grinned behind his costume, the people he passed on his way up had moved out of his way quickly, then stared, he was used to being huge, but the suit of fine silvery steel armour he wore made him seem even more imposing then normal. He had eventually found the design in one of Ravens books, it seemed to be more a formal suit of dress armour than anything, but it was like a work of art cut from steel – very much Cyborg's thing.

He was met at the door by a tall man in a simple black suit and a masquerade mask, who held out one hand and smiled under the mask.

"Ticket sir? And we are announcing each guest by name as they enter; it gives such a nice reason for people to look at your costume!"

Cyborg raised his visor and grinned back, handing the man his ticket, he laughed, I'm Cyborg of the teen titans, now, lets give the nice people something cool to stare at!!"

Jinx moved silently down the corridor a few moments after Cyborg, her footsteps made no noise, but she was far from inconspicuous. Her tall lean figure was wrapped in a skin tight domino suit – a jester's suit, but here and there it was accented, a pink sash wrapped and held with a broach accented her thin waist, while flourishes of the same pink cloth graced her wrists and ankles, thin strips of material descended from her neckline, falling around her like a piecemeal cloak, and a two piece mask covered her whole head, the upper section was fashioned from the cheek bones and nose up into the face of a goblin, whilst the lower section completed the face with a crazed grin, very like her own. Her hair topped the whole outfit, standing proudly in its trademark horns, for the first time in weeks. The colours of the suit and cloak moved and whorled madly, seeming to blend and change as she moved never settling. She sauntered down the corridor, threw an arm holding her invitation over the announcers shoulder and said grandly

"Jinx! Of the Teen Titans."

As he waved her on she noticed delightedly that the entrance led to a short staircase, so everyone could see he new arrival, as she was announced, she relaxed and let herself flip and bounce her way down the stairs, her fast movement driving the colours she was wrapped in into a frenzy which froze as she stuck her landing in perfect Gymnasts pose at the foot of the staircase. 'And hold for applause' she thought dryly, normally the sign of a good entrance was people running away, but claps were nice too…

Robin and speedy met in the corridor, a moments cool appraisal made both laugh then walk on, side by side. Robin turned to his green clad friend

"Not too many costumes let you keep the mask on huh?"

Speedy laughed and gestured at himself, a full Robin Hood outfit – complete with hood and tiny mask, as well as an English longbow and quiver on his shoulder.

"Hey, at least mine is manly! Zorro?… dude that's just cheesy…"

Robin shrugged, it was true, he was dressed in full Zorro mode, a black bandana mask covering his eyes as always, and a heavily ornamented Rapier at his side. They reached the announcer both handing tickets over, Robin cleared his throat, you first man, you're the guest after all."

Speedy spoke to the man and stepped through to polite applause as he was announced as

"Speedy, member of the teen titans!"

His grin Died as he reached the foot of the stairs to hear

"Robin!! Leader of the Teen Titans!!!" and the room begin to clap in earnest. He waited for the black clad ego maniac to descend and shook his head…

"You let me go first, just so everyone would be looking for your entrance… cheap man that was cheap…"

Robin shrugged with a grin "worked though"

Beastboy held up his promise of a great costume, as he was announced a grey wolf bounded to the head of the stairs and howled, as the sound reached its peak, the wolf shifted and grew, stopping at the height of a man, forming a full movie style werewolf down to the shredded jeans and shirt.

He lumbered down to Cyborg with a huge grin and high fived the knightly titan who laughed and gave him a thumbs up and a drink.

"You're costume was hair dye?! Nice man… no wonder we didn't see you all day!"

The next announcement caught the group of now chatting titans by surprise, it was rare to hear it put so plainly, even though they all knew it.

"Princess Kor'Iand'R of Tamaran!! Heir apparent to the throne, and member of the teen titans!"

With this ringing announcement – the announcer really seemed to give it his best – Starfire appeared in the doorway, the titans gasped, she looked so warlike; it was an odd image. For once her height and the width of her shoulders were imposing instead of pleasing to the eye; she was clad in Armour similar to her sisters, predominantly golden rather than black, with accents of silver on the boots and gauntlets, as well as the kirtle and breastplate. Her hair was held away from her face by a crown of silver that seemed to flow into a faceguard. Ignoring the stairs she floated down, eyes and hands trailing green fire as she moved.

"Hello my friends… it is good to see you!, I decided that rather than dress as what I am not… I would dress as what I am for tonight… this is the armour made for me as princess…"

Jinx moved over and hugged the warlike alien warmly,

"It's beautiful Starfire, is Kor'iand'r your real name?"

"Yes, it is how my people would say Starfire… both are my real name."

The alien smiled at the slightly stunned expression on the boys faces then giggled, "Friends! You have all seen me in my own armour, aside from jinx… and you have been to my home, why does my appearance shock you?!"

The boys all simultaneously began to rub their heads and babble innocently causing both girls to laugh outright. Jinx seemed to hear something coming and turned, the others could just about hear her voice given a slight metallic quality by her mask as she muttered.

"Finally! I've been waiting to see this"

The announcer leaned back against the frame of the door, he was unseen by anyone in the ballroom, and the corridor was empty so he could relax for a moment. Until a swirling pool of shadows and madness poured out of thin air – coating the whole corridor the seeming to flow under the cloak of a shimmering red figure.

Recovering his composure he stepped in front of this figure, meeting the terrible gaze of its mask.

"Um… ticket? And we are announcing by name so that everyone can see each costume… please?!"

Raven grinned, which didn't seem to reassure him at all and handed him her ticket.

"Announced by full name right? What the hell, its Hallowe'en, if there was any night I could get some use out of father its this one…"

The titans all turned to see what Jinx was waiting for, when announcer stepped back into the entrance, looking badly shaken, but holding up as he strived to do his job under bad conditions.

"Raven TrigonsDaughter, Heir to the eighth devil and Lady of Azarath. Member of the Teen Titans!!!"

The whole room swung around at the mention of Trigon as if choreographed, just in time to see a grand figure step out onto the stairway. Raven was dressed in a costume very familiar to jinx, the red death from the phantom of the opera – it was the phantoms masquerade outfit. A suit seemingly of red velvet cut to Victorian lines, complete with a white silk shirt and a waistcoat the colour of arterial blood framed her nicely, even though it should have seemed masculine, the soft, hugging material and the way it was cut to accentuate her figure made it anything but.

In place of a suit coat, she wore a floor length duster, heavily mantled and embroidered its high collar framed her pale neck and the snowy cravat she wore at her collar, pinned with her red gemstone broach. The duster seemed to be a heavy silk, again bright, blood red. Her hair was long, and more shockingly, bone white, spread over her shoulders and down the front of her coat, a fedora hat, matching the coat in colour topped her head.

The mask defied all accurate description; the only thing they were sure of was its colour – bone white, and the four glowing red eyes. It shifted constantly, sometimes only covering her cheeks and eyes, sometimes full length, sometimes plain, sometimes carved into the faces of demons and angels. She descended the staircase coolly, eyes locked onto Jinx's pink gaze. Ignoring everything she swept straight to the Harlequin clad girl and held out one hand.

"Dance with me?"

As the two girls moved to the floor through the cloud of shocked silence raven smiled. It wasn't every year a real demon arrived to the Hallowe'en ball after all…

Just as they stopped on the dance floor, raven again extended her left hand, taking jinx's in a light formal grip. She turned to regard the band with a level, demonic glare; as one man the band heard a whisper in their ears seemingly from just behind them.

"_Waltz;__ now please, and keep playing" _

For the rest of their lives, all of the men would swear they never played as perfectly as that night, after all, what could motivate them better then the devil herself glaring at your soul?

The music seemed to shatter the spell. Other couples began to move onto the floor, Starfire dragging robin by a wrist seemed to cut a path through the crowd, demanding excitedly to be shown how to dance formally, robin smiled and moved off lightly, bringing them near to their two team-mates who were dancing easily, keeping perfect time with each other and talking in intimate near whispers. Jinx noticed the company first and freeing the lower half of her mask, smiled at Starfire, and glanced at robin who apparently, could really dance. The alien giggled and smirked back, blushing slightly at the boy in her arms, it was noticeable that Robin wasn't leading, Starfire was taller, weighed more, and was clad in armour, it was a very in charge situation for the girl.

For a few hours it was a relaxing evening, the conversation was light and easygoing everyone else wanted the chance to shake a titans hand and thank them personally for the god job they did, considering the political and economic power in the room, it meant a lot. Everyone danced, Beastboy and speedy seemed to be in some kind of competition on who could get refused the fastest, and move on the cleanest from each put down. Cyborg hung back, until Jinx flickered out from a crowd and started to push him out.

"You're dancing with me stone!! You owe me a dance since the last time we were at a ball!! You spent the whole night talking to mammoth about pro wrestling! Come on, it's an easy song, I'll be gentle…"

"But but I don't wanna dance!!"

"ahh shaddap you big steel baby…"

Ignoring all protests jinx drove him onto the floor with one hand glowing pink dangerously. Once it started he seemed to settle into it, and actually had a bit of grace he looked down his chest at her after a few minutes.

"Where's Rae? Didn't think you two would separate this early on…" he flicked his eyes to where Robin and Starfire seemed to be glued together.

She laughed manically, and nodded her head in the other direction, gracefully turning the pair so he could see.

"She's Clergy bothering… apparently the Bishop flicked holy water on her once a few years back called her an unholy abomination, so now she's getting him back…"

Indeed she was, he could see her grin, she seemed to have her fangs back again, as she swirled past in a fast paced dance with a stuffy seeming man in a black suit, he was sweating desperately and Cyborg could measure the spike in heart rate every time he met those four glowing eyes.

"You know, I think he remembers? And I think he's apologising. That or praying. Maybe both."

The two titans looked each other in the eyes again, both keeping perfectly straight faces, before they cracked and burst out laughing and continued to dance.

The quiet, civilised evening was suddenly interrupted, a gang of men burst into the main entrance, each was dressed as a clown, robin gasped as he saw their leader, holding the door announcer, the purple suit… green hair 'no…'

He relaxed a moment later… it wasn't the Joker – it didn't matter who it _was_, the fact that it's not the Joker was a plus.

'Who's dumb enough to rip off the Joker?! He's lucky he's going to jail…'

The lead clown suddenly shouted over the noise of the frightened crowd.

"This is a raid!! All your money and valuables in the bags now!! This can be a scary story tomorrow, or a tragedy on the news! It's your call people, my boys won't hesitate to shoot you!"

His brave piece spoken, he gestured for his men to spread out, seconds before each was bound in black bands, the weapons in their hands exploded in pink flashes probably breaking fingers all round, if not worse. Raven and Jinx strode from the crowd, both girls were surrounded by glowing tendrils of power, black and pink flowed and met in the air as the ascended the stairs to meet the crew of hapless idiots.

Each of the other titans received ravens message as she began to move,

'_Hold off, we need to erase any doubts about Jinx, saving the cream of society should do nicely'_

The two girls reached the landing at the same time, the sight of six glowing eyes burning any bravery out of them.

Each was forced to his knees by black energy, when suddenly the leader broke free, he dashed to one side and made a grab for the announcer, Jinx moved like water, spinning around raven neatly, a casual flick of one hand sent a pink wave into his arms with a meaty crack! Followed inside a second with a ballet like kick to the face that left a crumpled heap sliding on the polished floor.

She turned, her mad grin revealing her long teeth, and her eyes glowing with energy under her coppery mask.

"Any Questions? Comments? Attempts to resist will be met with swift violence guys. And we're better at it than you are, stay down, do the time, hope for a good lawyer and a bad cop."

The gang looked down at the floor, and seemed to shrink into themselves as Raven reached into a shadow on the wall, withdrawing it she held her communicator. Swiftly she tossed it to jinx and said.

"You're collar, take of the mask and call the police."

Jinx turned her manic grin on her team-mate before reaching back to unhook the mask, handing it to raven she called the police and laid out the situation and location in professional, short terms. Then right at the end she whispered to the microphone

"The mayor and the commissioner are here!! Send someone you like! Those officers are going to be getting golden handshakes for a while I'd say!"

The grin of the dispatch officer answered that, and she nodded

"Can do, titans. There in a minute."

The crowd cheered when the police arrived, true to jinx's prediction the two officers collecting statements each had a talk with the mayor and commissioner and walked away happy, then collected Jinx and Robin's versions of events. As they left, having packed the last man into the paddy wagon robin tapped the lead officer.

"Take the guy in purple out and hose him off before anyone sees him… we don't need the real Joker paying the town a visit if he hears someone stole his gimmick."

The cops paled slightly and agreed. Jinx laughed… poor bastard was going to be very wet and naked by the time he hit the station.

The party was subdued after that, really raven just dragged jinx back in, so that the high society types saw her face and by tomorrow she would be a titan and nothing else.

The group were among the last to leave the party, just in case another gang tried anything after the last civilian – the announcer - finished thanking them and left, looking in his own words for hard liquor and a soft bed, the team decided to head back to the tower. Starfire and Beastboy both went to the cloakroom Starfire returned and asked Cyborg to help her reattach her cloak to her shoulder plates; it was they noticed the same colour as her hair. Beast boy was gone for a while, and then returned in his own form and uniform, even if he was still a grey colour.

Raven turned to the other two who got themselves to the party.

"Do you guys want to get back now or go in Cyborg's slow mobile?"

The others all smiled as he bristled at her teasing his car, speedy patted his back, "it's ok man… its ok, girls don't understand… plus she can teleport… all cars look slow…"

Beastboy declined, he hated travelling under her cloak, but Starfire nodded cheerfully and stepped to her side. As speedy led Cyborg away toward the parking lot, offering to race him home, jinx ran over, pecked raven on the lips and hugged her.

"Thanks for asking me to dance Rae… means a lot!"

Raven hugged her back, and smiled,

"You can thank me at home… see you when you get there… did you know Johnny rancids bike is faster than robin's?"

Jinx grinned again and fastened her mask on fully, her voice once again hollow and metallic, she walked away shouting.

"In that case, I have a race to win!!"

The shadows of the ballroom all coalesced around the two colourfully dressed girls in its centre, when they faded, the room was empty.

Author's note: i just have to thank Shinji Shazaki, for sticking Raven and Phantom of the opera together in my brain, his story really is excellent, and worth a read.


	8. Ladies night

Ladies night.

Robin was frowning as he burned a line in the asphalt, he was sure his bike was faster than Johnny Rancid's but he couldn't get ahead of the pink thief, roughly fifteen feet ahead of him, he noticed she didn't have a helmet, just her full face mask 'trust Jinx to take the opportunity for one more broken law…'

At least he was outpacing speedy, even if the heavy full length cloak had nearly killed him as he burned past his friend, having clothes long enough to reach your back wheel on a bike was never fun…

Cyborg had shot past them all laughing, actually sitting on the roof of the car driving with what appeared to be reins. Robin refused to be beaten by something that silly looking, although considering the car, there wasn't a lot he could do about it.

Jinx grinned as she felt the wind whistling through the mask, flattening her hair into two long tails. 'This bike has a date with a paint booth and a set of new owners papers baby… damn, no more grand theft auto… stupid law. Hehehe I'm beating Robin… that's gonna drive him nuts! Course he didn't learn to drive in getaway's… actually, he probably did, but from the other side…'

The tower suddenly loomed into view from around a long tight corner; she just saw the access tunnel's entrance, and Cyborg's car shooting across the water taking a far shorter route.

Raven was sitting on the back of the couch, idly comparing costumes with Starfire; of course they arrived first, if you couldn't use demonic powers to win an illegal street race what else could you use them for? The alien was now wearing ravens dress coat, admiring the weight of the soft seeming material and the dramatic swirls the slightest gesture caused, giggling as she struck dramatic poses Robin used to move his cloak.

Raven couldn't help but laugh with her as she struck his patented 'Titans, GO!' pose with one leg on the couch one hand pointed dramatically into the bay. She moved past the girl still pleased at her clothes easy feel, waistcoats were oddly nice she decided as she put on the kettle, she would have to see if she could find a blue one, and an excuse to wear it…

A role of emotion and laughter warned her of someone's approach as she admired the detailed engravings on the crown of Starfires outfit, apparently it detailed her families' achievements as well as her own, and Raven was shocked to see the mark of Scath.

"Star, why is the mark of Scath on your crown?!"

The alien looked up and blushed slightly before she answered.

"My K'norfka heard of our, Your defeat of the Trigon, and added to my role of victories, when I requested my armour it was already there, I hope you do not mind…"

Raven smiled at her, trying to ease her anxiety before the boys arrived.

"Its fine Star, you DID help destroy my father, and luckily the mark is the mortal version, even with him dead, the correct version carries power, although only I guess I'm the only one that knows it now… just warn him not to carve it on stuff ok? It actually claims things in my name! I don't like the idea of you being branded my property…"

Starfire looked puzzled for a moment then questioned Ravens unknowing admission

"Marked as yours? I believed this to be Trigon's symbol…"

Raven looked up as a whooping Cyborg ran into the room, holding back a struggling beast boy

"First place baby!!!! Nothing can stop me!"

She leaned into Starfire not wanting to announce it to the whole team.

"Star… I killed my father, as far as other demon's would be concerned, I did it in single combat, mortals count as weapons, not allies. And I did it as he was weakened, but in a moment of triumph – it's a perfectly respectable method of succession, like you beating Blackfire for the throne, as far as they are concerned, what was his is now mine, including the mark."

Starfire looked sober for a moment, the seemed to shake it off and grinned, hugging Raven briefly – "It does not matter Friend Raven, you have not changed in my eyes at all!!"

Raven nodded and smiled gratefully at her friend, it was when she noticed she was still wearing the mask, even if it had retreated to the size of robins. 'Oddly comfortable actually…'

Starfire was hugging Cyborg at this stage, proclaiming him the Victor of the race as loudly as she could, and floating slightly so she could raise his hand in triumph.

An oddly pensive Beastboy sidled up to Raven on the couch as she made tea without going to the kitchen, the fresh cup floated to her hand obediently.

"Hey Rae? I ah… I just wanted to say you looked great tonight, and you win the costume thing… its amazing…"

He was blushing furiously as he finished for reasons Raven refused to entertain, she resorted to simply nodding and smiling slightly.

"Thanks BB, yours was a really good idea, I had no idea you could handle Mythical creatures like that… it was impressive."

He grinned madly; seemingly out of proportion for such a lukewarm complement as he wandered away to argue with Cyborg, apparently he was the first into the tower and decided it made him the winner.

Jinx arrived next, just ahead of the last two boys; she had apparently waited for them in the garage to tease them some before Cyborg could laugh at them all.

On cue the armoured teen danced around the trio singing nahnahnah nahh nahh like a three year old and demanding they call him champ.

An attempt to throw his arm around Jinx from Speedy went completely unnoticed as she took two quick steps from the group, jumping over the couch to land beside Raven Speedy turned to see all the odd looks from Cyborg, Beastboy and Starfire as well as Robins grin, he walked back to the group looking curiously at the boy wonder for an answer, Robin just shrugged and whispered.

"Never going to happen man… she's completely out of your league"

'She boxes in the ladies division…' but he of course didn't mention that to the still determined red head. The others seemed to think Robin had cleared the matter up and walked away, chatting about each others new costumes.

The hapless archer managed to turn in time to miss the chaste kiss the girls had gotten into the habit of using around the team, and by the time he turned all was pg again, they were just laughing with each other quietly.

'Woo… Raven's laughing?! That's new… she's cuter than last time I was around, gotta find excuses to visit Ollie and pass through jump more often!"

Raven was actually considering turning on the TV when Jinx vaulted the couch, landing practically in her lap, looking perfectly troublesome and cute as she grinned, the leaned in for a small kiss, before Jinx started to laugh, Raven was still wearing the mask, she reached out and touched it gently, before dropping her hand and leaning back into the couch.

"Still got it on? I never knew you were an Adam and the Ants fan…"

"Hey, you were he one that thought I was into this sort of thing first! And if I get that song stuck in my head, I'm spanking you till you're sorry!"

At the first sentence her mask shifted, taking the appearance of a beautiful woman, leering at Jinx, though its expression became sterner, and more commanding as she spoke.

Jinx laughed, she had changed everyone's communicator ring tones to the best of the eighties the day before, and Raven's was ringing for three minutes before she could break the code it had been locked with. 'Stand and deliver' had nearly come between Jinx and her goodnight kisses.

They noticed the others settling on the couch as they spoke, Speedy was shuffling over on his backside to rest near Jinx and Raven.

Raven looked over at Jinx, who laughed at the mask suddenly winking its upper left and lower right eyes at her as Raven stood and yawned dramatically.

"Alright Guys, I'm off to bed… Damn, Jinx you have… that … book of mine… mind showing me where you wan– put it?"

The thief always fast, especially when the invite was that obvious grinned and shot to her feet.

"Sure thing!! I mean... Ah, yes… I know where it is…"

She cursed herself, she hated sounding that sickeningly eager and happy, even when it was how she felt. Raven leaned over the couch and asked a grinning Starfire for her coat, which the girl seemed to have taken a liking to and was still wrapped in.

The princess stood to take off the long garment and smiled as she spoke, a laugh obvious in her voice.

"Of course friend Raven, I am sure you will both have a satisfying night!"

Speedy was used to Starfire saying odd stuff, so he completely ignored her double entendre, instead wondering why Raven was blushing as she left a few steps behind Jinx.

Inwardly the boy grinned as a cunning plan formed in his brain, 'run to my room, grab the emergency Bubbly… by the time I get to Jinx's room the cute bookworms off to read… I slip in whilst we're alone in her room, crack a bottle; give her a _real_ welcome to the team!'.

He stood gracefully and muttered a distracted goodnight to the team, Robin was grinning fiendishly as he waved goodnight, but it went unnoticed through his rakish black hat and mask. He just threw his silver tooled cavalry boots up on the table and smiled the smile of a good friend doing something bad.

Speedy sauntered down the towers corridor, bottle in one hand, two glasses in the other, Ollie's upbringing was very loose, but oddly specific in area's like always carrying champagne and two flutes. He wasn't a great father figure, but he had seen the inside of a fair few super heroines hide outs…

He frowned at her door, a growl had just rumbled out of the room, past the door that seemed caught on a piece of cloth; part of her costume he noticed with a start.

He burst in the door, bottle forgotten and in full hero mode as he saw a monster atop Jinx, biting her neck, four eyes left a trail of fire as it whipped around to face him, the things body was wrapped in shadow, but its face was that of an angry demon, a hideous snarl locked on its snow white face.

All its eyes narrowed as he was flung from the room with a curse, the door slammed shut and locked itself before he hit the opposite wall.

He flipped easily to his feet, and after noting the door was jammed he ran for backup.

The four remaining titans were watching a sixties monster movie laughing at the effects as Speedy burst back into the room, a wild expression on his face.

"Guys!! Jinx is being attacked by some monster!!"

The whole team gasped and jumped to their feet in an instant; except Robin, who turned and asked smugly.

"Four red eyes right? Threw you out without touching you?"

The team relaxed and exchanged grins before sitting again, as Speedy nodded madly.

"That's the one man!! Come on! You be the old priest I'll be the young priest!!"

"Four red eyes… just like say… Ravens mask?! Used telekinesis like say… Raven?!"

Speedy nodded, grateful that Robin was following him, then he processed his actual sentence.

"Robin. You're a jerk. You might have mentioned she was a lesbian dude… and seeing someone! Someone who could eat me!! Do you know how much harder that makes it to sleep with her!!

What the hell are you all laughing at!!?"

It was true, all four teens were on the couch laughing at the poor man, and Robin seemed to gather himself enough to gasp a response out between giggles.

She told you the first sentence man… 'I don't play on you're team' remember… hey, its one more thing you guys have in common! Ravens caught both of you drooling over her chest!!"

Self control spent, the boy wonder collapsed again, wrapping himself against Starfire in attempt to get himself under control.

Speedy, aware he had been got, and got good; and that the story was going to beat him back to his own tower, since he was going to be gone for another week. Turned and slunk back to his own room.

Raven glowered at the door; she had met Jinx at her bedrooms entrance, after teleporting to beat her there, a thick bundle of paperwork in her hand, and a grin worthy of her thief on her face. Jinx was _very_ pleased, to put it politely, and clothes had quickly become less of an option. Since the spelled phrase to remove the mask was in Robins study, she simply concentrated for a moment, and it got out of the way. She had pinned her lover to the bed, it had taken more than a small amount of persuasion and an eventual burst of shadow powers to get them there – when the idiot had burst in. he didn't even have the decency to apologise! He actually looked ready to fight about something! 'bugger that' she decided, and smashed the fool out of the door, clearing the cloak Jinx had discarded from the entry as she did, as he flew, she slammed it, and deftly caught the bottle and glasses he dropped.

She turned back to the girl she still covered, and reached back to take the champagne from the air.

"Well, at least he's good for something… feel like a celebratory Drink?!"

Jinx laughed softly and sat up; reaching for the glasses as raven carefully removed the cork with her powers.

"Giving alcohol to minors? Some super hero you are!!! I didn't peg you for the drinking type Raven…"

"You should see what Libido wants me to do to the minor once she's Tipsy!! And I just… might…" leaning down she stole a kiss as she spoke, clinking glasses, she took a small sip as she straightened again, her mask again leering at the sorceress in time with her words.

"I don't normally drink, but what the hell; I forged your signature on a bunch of official documents this morning!! One last crime won't kill me!"

Jinx honestly looked shocked, getting her drunk and doing something lewd sober Jinx probably wouldn't try sounded like a great night, but se didn't realise Raven would stoop to felonies to keep a secret until they were in private!.

The bottle floated past, filling both glasses again as they smiled at each other, and moved together in the shadows of Ravens power.

Beastboy oddly was the first to rise the next morning, he was set for morning rounds with Starfire, and was pottering around the kitchen, he hated mornings, but was too young for coffee, not to mention his sense of smell was too good to try it.

He turned to see Raven wander lazily into the room; she was wearing her red dress pants, though barefoot and her pristine white shirt and Cravat were buttoned fully, though not tucked in, all in all, she looked gorgeous to his eyes, especially with the small satisfied smirk on her face.

Oddly, her mask was still in place, so she had all four eyes on display, but it had shrunk to its most non-descript form, a white version of Robins mask.

She even danced slightly to herself, humming quietly as she crossed the room; she walked straight through the wall into Robins study, walking out the same way moments later, a small piece of parchment in one hand. As she moved into the kitchen she spoke in a harsh crashing language, the sound of her words grated on his ears, in pain he dropped the empty glass he had been holding. She looked up in shock as her mask peeled away of its own accord, when it hit the table, it was once again solid and a blank shape, though it was covered in curling script and a prominent mark of scath was branded between where the eyes would be.

He met her eyes as they shifted back to her own human gaze.

"Sorry BB! I wouldn't have said that if I thought you were up… I should have checked I was alone… are you ok?"

He nodded while rubbing his ears and mumbled something inane.

"BB, what's wrong with you? You haven't met my eyes in ages, you barely talk to me, and now I nearly blast your mind out with demonic languages and you wave it off?! What's up?"

He just glared at her, unaware that his spike of emotion answered most of her question.

"Nothing Rae, we're fine! No reason, you never liked talking with me anyway… so what's the problem with me being quiet?!"

She settled back and gave him a reproachful look.

"BB… do you… do you like me? Is that it? I kind of thought you did before the whole Jinx thing… but to be honest, I never felt romantic towards _anyone_ before her… so I didn't know what to do about it… sorry if I led you on…"

He sighed and nodded.

"Ya… I, you… you were the one who understood you know? After Terra, after the beast… after you saw how Mento treated me… you always knew how to put me back together… you know you were the first person apart from my step mom Rita to say I was funny?! You helped me so much, and I guess it just grew on me… when you fell in the pool all over someone else… well I felt kind of betrayed, stupid since you had never been mine…"

The young man seemed so down that she reached across the table and took his hand,

"BB, you've always been there for me, and I know its because you're a good person, not just because of how you feel, your like my little brother, I never would have fought off my father – twice without you, or the other titans… but I'm sorry for not saying this sooner… I guess without the emotions I didn't realise I was hurting you…"

The two smiled at each other briefly, the Beastboy stood, Starfire had entered some time before unnoticed and was desperately trying to be quiet at the counter.

He walked to her side and gestured to the door.

"Come on Star, we need to go… I'll buy you a hot dog or four for making you miss breakfast." The princess nodded and murmured a small greeting to the thoughtful empath sitting at the table.

A few minutes after they left, Raven seemed to shake herself from her contemplation and stood, as the ingredients for the full Irish breakfast she had promised to serve to Jinx in bed flew from the fridge under their own power.

Jinx was getting grouchy. The Champagne was apparently very good, bad bottles didn't kick like a mule afterward, it had in hindsight, been a very big bottle… on top of which, the badly needed greasy breakfast she had been promised was late, and she refused to get up until it arrived, it was principle dammit!.

Robin moved from his room to the towers main area, he wanted to get some training done today, and was just going to check his e mail and see if he was able to access the coffee machine beforehand.

As he stepped through the door he saw Raven walking the other way, obediently followed by a floating pair of trays, one carrying plates of bacon, sausages and puddings, the other seemed to contain Ravens kettle and two cups, he stopped her before she could pass.

"Hey Rae, Breakfast in bed for 2?"

She simply nodded and met his eyes, waiting for the reason he actually stopped her.

"I thought she would be up, but I guess you can give this to her, since she's a free person and all now… listen, I've you two rostered as on call tonight, me and Cy are patrolling, but if you guys want to head out or something…"

She smiled as he handed her a titan's communicator, a thin pink strip outlining the T in the centre. Then looked back at his eyes.

"I was going to suggest a fancy dinner somewhere, just the two of us… we'll bring the comm's with us, don't worry… wouldn't want you to try and do anything without backup… thanks Robin…"

She moved away slowly, clipping the comm. onto her waistband, briefly Robin noticed that the soft trousers suited the pale girl, before he moved off to get his caffeine fix.

Raven moved softly into Jinx's room – not having to open doors helps in that regard. One tray floated into her waiting arms as Jinx squealed in joy at the site of food, and probably Raven.

"Bacon!! I've missed you bacon… come to momma!"

For all of her excitement, she only sat up in the bed and placed one of Ravens pillows in her lap to balance the tray. Raven handed over the artery stopping plate Jinx had described longingly until Raven had agreed to make it so she would shut up earlier, the sat down next to her with an identical one.

Doubtfully she prodded one of the dark disks she had fried,

"What is black pudding anyway? I never asked Cyborg, but apparently he told BB and he puked…"

Jinx looked at it briefly as she shovelled her own into her mouth and swallowed quickly.

"Basically its blood boiled with barley, spices and breadcrumb, its good…"

Raven nodded, it explained why Beastboy puked anyway, he had tried it thinking it was vegetarian like white puddings, shrugging she cut it and settled into a very welcome breakfast, not even looking as tea pored itself into two waiting cups, that floated next to each girl.

Later, when they were both finished, they leaned against each other and Raven slipped something into Jinx's hand.

"This is for you, you've earned it."

Jinx glanced down, she had been staring into space, blissed out on pork by-products, it was a Titans comm...

"Seriously?! I'm in?!"

"Seriously. Robin gave me that earlier… I think he checked out my ass right after… I'm going back to my cloaks…"

Jinx seemed to take that in stride shrugging again as she bounced the comm. in one palm.

"You've got a nice ass… even I checked it out, back when we met first…"

Raven blushed slightly at the offhand complement, and the mentions of past ogling.

"Would you like to go for dinner tonight? There's a few of the nicer restaurants in town always make room for the titans, and we're only on call from nine to one… we could get all dressed up…"

Jinx looked up slightly surprised, and then hugged Raven tightly, squealing again in excitement.

"It's a date!!! I'll wear something all Purdy! I have to go buy pretty things now… Thanks Rae! Where you taking me?"

"Ummm… Chinese? Indian?"

"Indian it is! I love hot food!"

The two girls snuggled closer, no talk of getting up just yet interrupted talk of shopping for new clothes, and a plan to tell Starfire to meet them at the mall for lunch when her patrol finished.

Later that day Robin was sitting in his computer chair, the tower was nicely quiet, Cyborg was singing Elvis songs admittedly, but the three girls were out, and it toned things down.

He was finishing up checking one of his e mail accounts, used for anonymous tips and decent rumours; when one caught his eye, it was from a reporter, the man worked for a good paper, but still, Robin was allergic to the press.

The man seemed to promise info on the rash of magic related disappearances and breakouts, but his asking price was unacceptable. Robin quickly replied, basically stating that the man should help, and in return he would have the inside track on that story, and the Titans good favour, nothing else was on the table. Hopefully he could sweat or shame the information out of him; otherwise the man was going to be introduced to the Batman school of media relations. It was usually short, but mostly carried out over a high drop.

Cyborg looked up from his award winning performance of burning love, to see Robin scowling at the computer, he usually scowled at things, but it seemed to be a bit more personal this time.

"Hey man, something up? You look like BB used your card to buy girly movies again!"

Robin glanced up and grinned at the memory of holding an apologising Beastboy over the edge of the tower to get the card back.

"Nothing like that, I've just got a hit from a reporter, says he has info on the disappearances, but he wants access to the team, a one time visit to the tower, talk to us… that kind of thing… I don't want to put you guys on the spot for stuff I should be able to get on my own."

Cyborg waved the objection away as he approached the gel haired leader.

"Rob, you do what you have to, we're out of leads, and you can always feed him to Rae if he screws you… speaking of which, don't tell Raven until its too late, or she'll send you off to some crazy dimension until your sorry,"

Robin nodded; it was his view on it too.

"Thanks Cy, I'll say it to him… he isn't budging anyway, I just got a reply from him."

The metal titan shrugged and seated himself at the console next to Robin logging in quickly he turned around, a huge smile across his face.

"Sooo, Rob, know any sites with pics of the Batmobile?!"

Robin just laughed and shook his head, his friend had been trying to find information on it for about a month now, but since it was ruthlessly controlled, he obviously had no luck. He turned and grinned back

"Doesn't matter CY, if you found pictures it's because it's an old model anyway… but, it's possible if I asked nicely, about armour, or something I could get a few specs sent over… if I wanted to that is, course I was never that into custom cars, spoiled at a young age you know…"

Cyborg drooled slightly at the thought of getting actual specifications of the coolest car on earth that he hadn't built, and then his eyes narrowed.

"What do you want spiky? Name it!!"

"well, it turns out my bike is a bit slower than Rancid's, so I was going to go about looking up ways to speed it up, but if you're going to be in the garage anyway…"

Cyborg gave a long theatrical sigh – they both knew he would love to play around with the bike, but he wasn't going to owe Robin a favour"

"You're on man, a week after I get those specs, it'll leave everything but my baby in the dust!"

The evening was actually fairly warm, not that Raven noticed – she was cold until other people were giving out about having to wear pants to go outside because of the heat, she adjusted the near purple long shawl she wore over her long blue dress, it was floor length, but hugged her tightly and had a long split up both legs to mid thigh, she loved it, even if it was a lot more conservative than what Starfire had wanted her to buy. Her hair was down as always, but much neater than her usual effort, slightly curling to frame her face subtly.

She turned from the television when she sensed Jinx moving into the room, the girl had apparently been toying with the idea of the punky goth look in the store, according to Starfire anyway, who had demanded explanations from Raven when they had gone into the shop afterward, a smile graced her face when she realised Jinx had decided against it.

The girl struck a pose as she was framed by the doorway, arms dramatically over her head, she wore a black silk shirt, the top few buttons open to show her silver necklace of a cartoon cat's silhouette, with it she wore tight black pants and low heels, her belt was neon pink, matching the hair which swept down her back, held there by a simple black hair band.

The two looked each other over for a moment, then smiled and moved closer.

"Looking good Rae! We have to get you out of that cloak more often! Even if you're trying to replace it!"

She said all this around ravens lips as she kissed her briefly, reaching out to rub the edge of the wrap between her fingers.

Raven gave her small smile back as she replied.

"You too Pinky, a pair of glasses and you could be the teacher in one of the boy's movies…"

Jinx grinned and thumped her pale shoulder lightly.

"That's what I was going for, admittedly… we driving or calling a cab? Reservation is at nine, it's five to now"

Raven just looked at her sceptically, why would we get a cab? And I'm an awful driver… just come here and we'll be on time."

Jinx slapped her forehead, of course Raven wasn't going to call a cab… she moved over into Ravens arms as shadows rose from under her wrap to cover both girls, vanishing seconds after they began to change leaving the room empty, except for a sorrowful looking Beastboy watching the TV.

The tasteful restaurant was situated on the expensive side of Jump, its panoramic glass wall gave an amazing view, ironically of Titans tower, the Maitre' D was so high class he didn't even flinch as a bird of shadow rose in front of his station dropping two oddly coloured women on his doorstep. He idly reached back and picked up two menus, gesturing for a boy to come over.

"Table for two? Reservation under teen titans yes?"

The two girls, still arm in arm he noticed in passing, nodded and actually began to follow his welcoming sweep of one arm into the restaurant as two mobile phones rang out.

Both girls looked dismayed, then embarrassed at his sniff of disapproval.

Raven flicked her comm. open, and then sighed turning first to the maitre' D.

"Is it possible to move our table back a half an hour? I'm afraid there is an incoming escaped prisoner, and we're the closest to him…"

The dignified man's eyelid twitched at the mention of incoming, but he simply nodded.

"Of course, anything we can do to repay you for stopping that man last year. Your table will be ready when you get back to it."

Both girls flashed him grateful smiles, then dashed out the door.

"Raven! Wait up! Whats happening?! I couldn't figure this damn thing out, I just stood their and looked informed!"

Raven looked back as she stopped in the shadows at the side of the street.

"Cinderblock broke out and is headed for the tower, the guys are help up at the prison, his escape woke Plasmus, and knocked a lot of the countermeasures off line – they're needed to stop an attempted riot, and I'm not fighting Plasmus in this dress."

Jinx just nodded, suddenly all business, her hands flaring into arcs of pink energy as she heard a thumping noise that grew as it approached.

"He's coming this way? Whats the plan?"

"That's why the tower is there, it gives the crazy ones something to focus on, rather than just blowing up random buildings…

Cinderblock is pure muscle; he'll charge, try and smash us, resorting to plan B: smash us with cars when that fails."

Jinx nodded, it sounded like a dumber mammoth.

"The plan is simple; I need you to be your usual distracting self, slow him till I give the signal then duck and cover. I'll smack him into next week. I hate being interrupted."

Jinx was a little shocked at the hard tone of Ravens voice, her face was blank, emotionless 'her game face' Jinx realised., glancing down the street she spotted the huge grey figure pounding toward them, at least twenty feet high, and as wide as Jinx was tall.

Cinderblock raged down the street, seemingly unstoppable, when a thin pale girl stepped into his way, a cocky grin lazily plastered across her features. She stopped in the middle of the road, one hand on her hip, she flicked her left at him negligently, pink flaring under her nails.

"Shoo."

Suddenly the road under his feet burst and buckled dumping him on his face about ten feet in front of the girl who laughed happily at him.

He shot to his feet Roaring loud enough to rattle windows around the block, she seemed to ignore him, inspecting her nails in a bored fashion as he postured and drew his hands up to smash her.

Jinx glanced up, smiling.

'Here it comes – the "hulk smash puny human" special… predictable.'

Timing it to a breathtakingly narrow margin, she half spun to one side, leaning back quickly leading into a surprising series of flips along his arm, reaching his shoulders she flopped into a seated position, and gave him a huge kiss on the side of the head a la Daffy duck. Cinderblock didn't take it any better than Porky pig did, tearing his hands from the ground and trying to grab the ghost of a girl, she had already rolled down his back, placing a neat double drop kick into his kidneys as she passed, landing on her feet behind him.

As he spun staggering he saw her briefly standing her ground, this time it was no small glow, a pink blast blinded him knocking him onto his heels, three more struck in succession, a flying kick to the inside of his left knee – which was holding most of his weight – dropped him to his knee's. A voice rang out over the din of the fight:

"Jinx! Away! Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos!!"

At this the pink haired girl flipped backward, disappearing behind a car. Just at the last moment, Cinderblock noticed a hideously dark shadow growing, it was so much darker than the surrounds that it was totally visible, it impossibly resemble a huge black bird of prey, pulling itself through a gap too small for itself, as he stood, still in shock, it spread its wings in victory with a terrible cry, and with a huge _snap!_ Of wings it lunged at him.

Jinx poked her eyes above the car, just in time to see the Raven avatar push its way from her team mate's body and stand triumphant on the air. 'That's weird; it never has to push out! And it looks… solid' she flinched at the rush of air displaced by the great wings, the bird dove into Cinderblock, swallowing him into its inky body, the kicked off the ground straight into the air. A noise to make heroes tremble rattled every window in the city as it sounded its hunting cry.

Jinx gathered herself enough to draw out her comm. and find the police button, not really looking as she followed the birds climb into the night sky.

"Dispatch? This is the Titans. We need a paddy wagon, this location, for Cinderblock – ya super strong guy. Don't worry the bird-demons with us… ya, night."

She hung up, not even looking at the screen as it reached the apex and hung there, a darker shape against a black sky. She could just make out the glow of its eyes as it surveyed the city for a landing spot. Suddenly its wings folded, and it swooped into a vertical dive, screeching again as it plummeted, the hapless super criminal grasped in its claws screaming along with it.

The impact, about a hundred feet from Jinx and Ravens peaceful form, was on the pier pointing to titan's tower. The noise of the impact was terrific, a plume of dust shot into the air, obscuring the huge figures responsible, and waves threw themselves into the bay, stirred up by the bucking pier.

The spray of water quickly damped down the dust, revealing the great raven perched on a very unconscious Cinderblock, the bird reared back, and spread its wings, as its figure shrank, in a moment it resembled a girl with dark wings spread behind her, then they settled into a great black cloak. The apparition strode confidently along the street, not even glancing at the fallen villain with its four burning eyes as it approached Jinx.

The pink haired thief nervously observed as it got closer, it was Raven she knew, but she had never seen anything to match that level of power, or anything that far from human. The figure, slowed as it passed her, and reached out one arm stroking her cheek and brushing a loose strand of pink hair behind her ear, before it leaned down face to face with Ravens body, locked mid air in the lotus position, a calm expression on her face, the black Raven leaned in as if kissing her body, and was absorbed over a few seconds.

Ravens own lavender eyes opened slowly, and a large smile crept across her features as she touched her feet back to earth.

"He's unconscious… I haven't cut loose since Father attacked, it feels better than I remembered… everything is so clear with just the soul's eyes, no physical perceptions getting in the way or fooling you… the city is beautiful"

She grinned suddenly, and stole a kiss from the shocked ex-thief,

"You're still good looking too! I guess this means I can say you've got a beautiful soul without sounding cheesy now?"

Jinx seemed to rally at this and grinned.

"No, that's always cheesy, and quit ogling my soul!! Buy me dinner first! Then maybe you get to play around with it!!"

The two grinned and moved off, arm in arm, to meet the approaching police.

The Maitre' D was slightly shaken, in the last half an hour, he had seen teleportation, then heard a super human fight, then seen a huge bird fly off with a large man, and smash him off the rocks, so he should be forgiven for the twitch he was demonstrating when the two pale girls wandered in, on time for the revised reservation the moved to his podium arm in arm, leaning against each other slightly, he simply nodded and gestured grandly, they followed him quietly to one of the better tables, which oddly overlooked the crime scene they had just left, they others had called, plasmas was contained, and Billy numerous had just turned around and gone back into his cell when he bumped into Robin on his way out. No one else had escaped, and the others were on the way home.

The two settled in, and had a fun dinner, daring each other to try each of the small samples that came out, in increasing levels of heat, surprisingly considering her fathers side of the family, Raven lost – she was the first to reach for the small serving of yoghurt that the waiter had provided, warning that water wouldn't help with the heat. Jinx laughed Crazily and wolfed down the rest of the chefs evil creation, Raven privately suspected it glowed in the dark, and seemed to have more in common with mad science than cooking, she settled for the one just under it, a glaring red lamb dish she enjoyed and the two chatted easily for a few more minutes.

Eventually as they both nursed cups of real Indian tea, over two clean dessert plates, Jinx asked something that had been bothering her.

"So… what's with your power levels Rae? A couple of years ago, I was nothing especially dangerous compared with today, but I could go toe to toe with you, even win, but then you pull out moves like that?"

Raven just looked into space for a moment, deciding how to explain it, and then she put down her cup and leaned forward. Stealing Jinx's spoon, she dolloped some cream onto her plate, then drew a line away from it with the edge of the spoon.

"Ok, the Cream is my power right? The line is my mind. The closest part to the power, is the id, the animal brain – in my case the demon brain – it's the instincts, fight or flight, possessiveness, mating urges, that kind of thing, very very basic impulses with no morality or decision making ability. As you move above that, into the reasoning parts of the mind – the ego and super ego – you form the ability to reason and think, obey laws, understand that you can't have some things and so on. Basically function in society."

She looked up and seeing Jinx was following continued.

"Ok, when I operate up here" she pointed at the end furthest from the cream "I'm at my weakest, it takes real effort to access my power, because it doesn't really understand the way I'm thinking – it's just mentally far away. I always had to exist there, in an emotionless logical state, because before, my powers were tainted, if I got too close, Trigon could warp my mind into a permanent demonic state, and bye bye earth. Now, with that threat removed, I'm able to act more emotionally, less logically, and this moves me closer to my power, slowly I'm starting to teach my powers how to understand a normal mind, so I can reach them without acting too much like a demon would. But, I'm still not on full strength, which would have me operating like dear old dad…"

She finished and leaned back, looking to see if Jinx was ok with the explanation.

Jinx made eye contact, and nodded very seriously, leaning forward as if to speak or ask for a clarification; she was actually using Ravens tea spoon to steal the blob of cream that had entranced her as soon as Raven began playing with it.

Quickly gobbling it she grinned and cleared her throat to speak to a shocked Raven, who had apparently been about to eat it.

"So you're saying that the longer you act normally without going crazy and conquering the planet, the less likely it becomes and the more powerful you get?!"

Raven grinned slightly and nodded, it was blunt, but pretty accurate.

"So what's the difference between _you_ acting on instincts and the rest of us mortals?"

"Well, basically the whole world conquering; slaves and concubines instinct. It's much more highly developed in demons! And I would be a bit more violent about the whole I want – I take thing too. Plus the stealing the souls of my enemies, and eating the negative emotions of my conquered masses. Outfits are skimpier too, lots of skulls"

Jinx nodded a grin on her face,

"I better not catch you with any concubines!... we split the slaves 50-50, and I get to pick the skimpy clothes!"

Raven burst out laughing, most people would be horrified, or try and be sympathetic – Jinx bargained for a better job in the new world order. The two rose and moved back to the desk to pay the bill that had been delivered with the tea, it was late, and they had been neglecting the couch, tomorrow was all about TV and junk food, before the night shift.


	9. Interview with a bloodsucker

Interview with a bloodsucker

Interview with a bloodsucker.

The tower stood quietly on its island, many of its inhabitants were snoozing – it was between patrols for that day and whenever that happened siesta's tended to break out amongst the teens.

Into this peaceful setting, a man in a dull brown suit could be made out entering the building, after a brief argument down the mobile phone in his left hand when the door had originally refused his entry.

Paul Masaki grinned to himself in the corridor, the Titans had never granted such access before – only the briefest of press conferences when the city made them, and even then it was Robin doing the talking and the other four standing around, he knew he was most likely acting more immoral than a Jump city Chronicle reporter should, but still, it seemed to do the job… The sound of an elevator touching down nearby moved him from his reverie and he moved forward to greet Robin.

Robin moved out into the dim corridor, a stony expression covering the tiredness he felt, he had remained at the prison to help secure some of the prisoners long after he sent Cyborg home, and hadn't expected the louse of a reporter to come this fast.

Grimly he shook the man's hand and waved him into the elevator, sizing him up out of old habits.

'tall, and a good build, but it's a gym body, no real training, and no concealed carry or the tower defences would have dropped him, he's clean, and no threat, may as well be nice'

Paul was silently getting nervous, Robin hadn't done more than glance at him, leaving him to take the lead in any conversation – It was a common enough tactic, it forced him to reveal what he wanted to know, rather than Robin rambling and possibly giving away something – he usually saw it from criminals though, not crime fighters.

"Ahem… I brought the information you requested, as well as information on each of the sources, it might help your own research if you know where I found each piece."

He spoke with a mostly concealed quaver, and opened his slim case to hand over a thick folder to the young man next to him, he wouldn't normally involve his sources, but stories had floated out of Gotham about what happened to people who argued with vigilantes about that kind of thing, a prominent times reporter had once been found upside down, seemingly tied to the flag pole over the entrance to the Lexcorp plaza hotel.

Robin would have grinned if not for his training; sometimes he didn't mind being associated with Gotham. He looked at the man in the eyes and gave a tight smile.

"Thank you, that was very thorough of you."

The two stepped from the elevator into another corridor, and Robin spoke again.

The teams mostly in here, I'm going to start on this info, so I'll talk to you last, its up to the guys if they talk to you in groups or singly, and if one of them says drop something, drop it, or leave, its that simple. Don't bother asking for real names, and be polite to Raven; she hates all forms of news reporter, although I'm not going to say why… my advice is not to ask her. You set?"

The reporter looked nervous, after all this could put him in the front pages for a long time if he stretched it into a serial of interviews, he took a deep breath and released it, assuming a calm easy smile as he nodded to the boy wonder.

Robin nodded back and opened the door, walking in ahead of the poor man.

"Guys? This is Paul Masaki. He works for the Jump city Chronicle, he's with us today to do some interviews, you don't have to talk about anything you don't want to, but try and be nice – he's helping on a case."

Looking around Robin Paul was shocked at his first glimpse of the team at rest, Cyborg, Starfire and Beastboy were playing cards quietly on the table and someone was on the couch wrapped in a blue blanket, slight snores could be heard, even if the figure was mostly obscured by the back of the couch.

"Hi, like Robin said, I'm just here to talk to each of you, I will ask a lot of questions, but you can feel free not to answer any of them you're not comfortable with, Robin here has elected to go last seeing as I gave him some information he wanted for a while, who wants to talk now?"

He looked around hopefully, and then relaxed when Starfire pushed back from the table with a huge smile and flew over to him, swiftly grabbing his hand and crushing it in a vice like handshake.

"Welcome new friend Paul! I am Starfire! I will speak to you, do you wish it to be here, or may we go outside, it is a lovely day and I wish to see the sun."

Discretely trying to rub life back into his hand he smiled at the princess, walking with her to what he assumed was the balcony.

"Outsides great Starfire, wherever you are most comfortable is the best thing…"

He turned to see the rest of the room, intent on describing the setting of his meeting as well as he could as an introduction to the article. The boys had resumed the game and Robin had vanished, but what caught his eye was the sleeping titan or as it turned out; sleeping titans! Raven, along with a new pink haired girl were stretched out on the couch, under a long blanket, as if they had drifted off watching TV, it was a very peaceful and friendly pose for the girl, who was infamous throughout Jump for being difficult to deal with.

'Good thing I don't have my camera ready, I'd take a picture, then she'd kill me…'

He laughed softly and walked out after Starfire.

Raven cracked one eyelid, from the feel of it, she was still on the couch under a blanket with Jinx. Her mind quickly informed her that the boys were in the room; being calm for once. She moved slowly and stretched as she rose. The blanket fell away as she stood, revealing a slightly rumpled blue dress, smiling she smoothed it down and tucked the blanket around Jinx, who seemed on the edge of waking also.

Light streamed in the window, revealing it to be near noon. She grinned as her kettle set about boiling water, and a cup with the right amount of tea fetched itself when she glanced at the kitchen, it was good to have a handle on her powers sometimes… she wandered to the boys, who apparently hadn't noticed her.

"Hey guys, morning… anything going on today? Tower seems very quiet…"

Cyborg glanced up from the pile of chips in front of him, apparently they were playing poker again and grinned at her, unfortunately he couldn't hide the spike of anxiety at her greeting.

"Hey Rae, you girls got in late last night!, have fun? Not much going on, just a reporter her to interview us as payback for info… what restaurant did you guys hit?"

She grinned at him in return; it was true, for all her good intentions in the restaurant it had been after sunrise when they had arrived in the tower.

"We went to the classy Indian place across the bay, Indira I think its called, then we went for a walk… the night gardens- then I took Jinx flying… sunrise is something to see from a thousand feet in the air… guess we fell asleep watching the TV…"

She paused, she had missed something in his comment… reporter?!

"Cy… why do we have to talk to a reporter? And where is the little newshound?!"

The grins rolled of the boy's faces when she caught on, Beastboy bravely answered.

"He found info Robin needed, but traded it for face time with each of us, he's outside talking to Starfire now, you don't have to answer any questions you don't want to, but he does want to talk to each of us."

Raven nodded, a grim expression locking down as she realised he had probably seen her snuggling Jinx like a teddy. Her tea floated out to her, as if trying to appease her, when she noticed Jinx sitting up.

Jinx rose, seeming closer to a zombie than actual wakefulness, then when she had lurched to her feet, executed what could only be called a full body yawn – stretching as fully as she could, while trying to turn her face inside out with a full yawn. Opening her eyes, and feeling much more human, she grinned automatically as Raven caught her yawn then frowned at herself… 'So cute…' she looked about, noticing that the boys were playing poker and were both waiting for mount Raven to explode and bury all the poor villagers in magma flavoured doom. That wasn't actually unusual but normally it took a lot of Beastboy to wear away the good feeling of a nights sleep.

'Guess something is up then… well, unless it involves a fire, and is really close, I'm eating first.'

Mind seemingly made up, the pink teen flounced past the others, absently kissing Raven as she passed, her left hand trailing lightly on the back of the dress. Once she had reached objective alpha – the fridge; she was faced with the first mission critical decision.

'I want a bacon sandwich. But I don't to waste the effort cooking one… damn, three options. Cook it myself – no. terrorise someone else into appeasing my evil with pig based tribute? – would probably take more energy than cooking, and besides, it would take ages… option three, shrug and eat cereal because I'm too lazy to work for my food. Ding ding!! Winner!'

The course of her mission now set, she acted swiftly… swiftly for a zombie impersonator anyway, she actually managed to make her next yawn last from reaching for the real milk, through finding a clean bowl, and well into pouring her bowl of super sugar coated energy bombs! – Her favourite cereal, and certified weapon of mass destruction when exposed to four year olds, or sugar sensitive maniacs. Just the way she liked them.

She flounced back to the table, where the boys were attempting to get Raven into the card game.

"Come on dude! You know you want to! Its fun seriously!"

Raven glared at him around a frame of hair still loose and mussed from her sleep then shrugged, and finished her tea.

"I haven't even brushed my teeth… when I finish that I'll come down and take your money… human lie detector remember? You guys can't bluff me. Actually BB? You know Cyborg can hear a bluff coming right? He can sense shifts in your heartbeat…"

The green teen whipped around and actually managed a Raven-like glare at the metal friend, who was laughing nervously as he slowly tried to move all the chips off the table into a bag…

"Now calm down green genes!! You can smell changes in mood! I was just evening the score… pre-emptively! What else am I supposed to do! Raven is an empath, and can decide not to show any tells! Robin … well, it's like playing batman at cards for god's sake! And I saw Jinx deal herself six aces in the HIVE!! We were playing five card stud!!"

All of his reasonable defences had done their job, not persuading Beastboy, but distracting him long enough for Cyborg to dash from the room, ill gotten gains clutched in his fist.

Raven turned as she was leaving, arching one eyebrow at Jinx, who was trying to laugh without loosing any of her gigantic mouthful of cereal.

"That's… that's a lot of aces…"

Sarcastic comment dropped, she swept from the room, intent on removing the furry taste from her mouth, by force if needed. Beastboy turned to the pink haired girl, who was attempting to remove sugary cereal from her lungs without actually opening her mouth, managing to right herself, she cleared her throat and with the dignity her black clothing forged for her, began eating again.

He felt kind of uncomfortable, after all he didn't spend much time with her, Raven had kind of monopolised her, and he had been avoiding Raven… and really what was polite breakfast conversation for the girl who had just spent the night with the girl you were mad about for over a year?! She managed to snap him out of it by accident, defending herself from Cyborg's earlier statements.

"It was in a school for Evil!! Come on, cheating at cards was ok! It was encouraged! And it's not my fault if I have probability powers... it's just my fault when I use them…"

Both teens looked up as two doors opened at the same time, Raven entered the room, still in her dress, but now looking much neater, and if you could read the subtle cues as well as the two seated at the table; quite happy. On the other side Starfire was floating in laughing with the reporter, he was still carrying his case, but had a recorder in his hand loosely, his attention was focused on the girl beside him, until they reached the table, where Starfire suddenly shot forward, gripping Jinx in a crushing hug then shooting forward ten feet to repeat the process on a slowly approaching Raven.

"Friends! You have awakened! Most wonderful, you must immediately sit and tell me of the date! Was it wondrous?! Did you have the Goodnight kiss?! When did you get back?!"

Raven was stunned, she should have seen Starfires enthusiasm coming, and had in a way; but she hadn't planned on a reporter being in the room at the time, glancing over the oblivious redheads shoulder she could see the shock on Jinx's face and the immediate spike of curiosity and satisfaction from the stranger told volumes, even if his face was schooled to stillness.

Helpless, she returned the hug for a moment, and stepped back.

'No point hurting Star's feelings here, or Jinx's… great I'm up ten minutes and the universe pisses in my breakfast and tells me at lunchtime. Super.'

"We had fun Star, real nice meal, and then we just went around the city… I'll tell you later over tea…"

Noting the happy expression on the aliens face as she sat next to Beastboy and attempted to steal his sandwiches, she glanced up to see a guarded look on Jinx, and her thoughts were as locked down as the former thief could manage.

'Oh god, she's waiting to see if I try and hide her… damnit!! Not how I wanted to get kicked out of the closet… I don't care if people know, but headlines aren't my thing.'

She mentally set her shoulders, and rounded the table, settling comfortably into her favoured stance of draped over Jinx's shoulders, she pecked her on the cheek sending a wave of reassuring feelings through the brief contact, she smiled as her girl relaxed slightly.

Seating herself beside Jinx, she turned to the reporter, he had faded imperceptibly, allowing the scene to develop naturally, he would make a great nature correspondent.

"We haven't been introduced. I'm Raven."

Jinx hearing the solid as rock monotone making its triumphant return, fell into her own public persona, the Cheshire grin sprang up as she let the man take in how non-human the accents to her face left her.

"I'm Jinx. New girl on the team… although I've been active in the city for years"

Paul shook himself, and allowed his 'dealing with bastards' manner come up as he stepped forward, he slouched slightly, and his eyes were wider, a small grin was sloppily apparent on his face, the whole impression was of a man slightly dumber than you, who wasn't aware of it. And of course, on a borderline Paranoid case with heightened senses and an empath it was as useful as wile e. coyotes umbrellas.

"Hey, I'm Paul!, lovely to meet you both, I'm just hear today because well, I did Robin a favour and he was cool enough to let me get some face time with you guys! Is there any chance we could have a chat? I won't even record it if you want, I'll just take notes…"

Jinx barely stopped surprise from registering on her face as a voice echoed into her mind;

-Well, looks like we're further out of the closet than I thought we were going to be… I was actually looking forward to the rumours… just to see what people came up with I guess. Do you want to screw with the reporter, or just try and make him wet his pants?-

Her grin, never reassuring, turned slightly sinister as she broadcasted back.

-Don't you dare!! We play this right; we could be the new Bennifer! I like Javen… or Rinx… seriously, I used to blow up stuff for a living, and the leading churchman of the city once attempted to exorcise you. We could use some nice press for once-

-Plus you want to get into places free and have companies send you free stuff in the hopes you're photographed with it?!-

-well… yeeess, also that. Please?!-

She attempted to send an image of her cutest, most kitten-y pout to her dour seeming lover, Ravens defences were always dropped when she tried this kind of contact, and she grinned anew seeing the defeated expression fly across Ravens face, shortly before the dark girl reached over and took her hand.

The whole exchange took only two or three seconds, just long enough for the very different, but equally off putting stares to make sweat begin to trickle down the back of Paul's neck, suddenly they seemed to come out of the stillness they had settled into; reaching out to hold hands in a gesture he was sure they weren't even aware of

'Holy crap!! I thought I was just getting the first decent sound bites from the team! But the first superheroes to come out of the closet in the world?! Oprah will have my babies!! Hell, she'll buy me someone else's for the book deal this is going to get!!'

He settled at the table, Beastboy and Starfire had wandered over to the couch, but were in his opinion; now completely secondary, this was the story right here. He placed the recorder between them, and at a slight nod from each of them he started it, trusting that the tiny memory card had plenty of space.

"So, girls, if I can just start this off with a few basic questions about yourselves? Don't worry anything you aren't comfortable answering will be dropped…"

Again they both nodded, and smiled slightly, he grinned in return, the first honest expression he had allowed himself.

"Ok, Raven, you've been public here in the city for years now, but I believe this is the first time I've seen you without the cloak! Now, you have a reputation for being quite guarded, even a bit bleak – and that's made you the darling of the more gothic community, do you see yourself in that way?"

She blinked, it was a good first question, it had several points, any of which would be easy to wander off of and say too much, he was good.

"Well Paul, to be honest, the cloak isn't a fashion thing, or a superhero thing. I was raised in a monastery – I was raised very intensively in the beliefs of the Azarathain order, I'm actually an acknowledged master of the techniques and philosophies they taught me. The Cloak is my equivalent of a Habit, it's the sign of my order, and the colour used to signify my Rank, although I am entitled to wear white… I just don't like to. As to being guarded, well, for a very long time, showing emotion would have hurt people, so, yes I was very guarded its actually only started to change recently, Jinx helped a lot more than she knows!"

He nearly gasped as she glanced to the eyes of her girlfriend and gave a small smile!

"Even so, like the cloak, being reserved is just how I was brought up. And no, I'm not a "Goth" I'm naturally pale, the facial piercing wasn't my idea", she tapped the gem in her forehead at this; and for the first time he realised it wasn't stuck on; "and while I do love poetry and literature, I was raised by monks, from an early age I was encouraged to learn and understand new concepts constantly, my mind had to strengthen much faster than a normal Childs if I was to be allowed near others.

I don't see myself as anything but myself really I guess."

Jinx looked at her warmly, she knew Raven was only being this courteous and forthcoming for her, although she did know that she hated being labelled as gothic or emo; her father was a freaking duke of hell, and she was raised in the knowledge that she was going to destroy reality. So it was kind of dumb when people tried to make her cheer up a bit.

He seemed happy with her answer; he nodded and looked thoughtful and sympathetic at all the right parts. Jerk.

"Raven, thanks for your honest answer!, Jinx, your turn for a minute… you might not know it, but I actually wrote your first media coverage… and I have to say, you've come quite a way from "mysterious trio trash teen titans totally" of course, I had to write a retraction the next day, but still, how did you get to this point?"

She laughed, until recently she had actually kept a copy of that article; it had been lost in the 'Flash incident', along with her other stuff.

"I remember that one, the paper that always printed the nearly nude girls on page three right?"

He laughed in return and nodded, "that's the one! I've moved up a bit since then though"

"Well, I was only a kid then, you have to understand there's some stuff I can't go into, for one reason or another, but I was basically raised to be a mercenary, a terrorist without any identifying ideology. It took the titans and a good long look at my future if I kept down that line; to snap me out of it… I cooperated with the authorities and ended up on special parole, helping out the Titans… when I was judged to be telling the truth about converting, the guys were nice enough to offer me a membership permanently… obviously I accepted!! Who wouldn't? Nice house, cool job, and between you and me, the girls here are gorgeous!!"

Raven smiled again as Jinx whispered this into his ear, then laughed at his struggle to keep his professional face on.

"Ok, Ok seriously again, and thanks for both of you talking to me, but I have to ask, you two are a couple? I understand completely if you don't want to talk about it of course!! I mean, privacy has to start somewhere!"

They looked at each other, and simultaneously shrugged and faced him again; Jinx was the first to talk.

"Yup, we're together… personally I think it's my fault, I'm just so damn suave that she couldn't help it!!"

She laughed as Raven thumped her in the arm and scowled at her for a moment, before speaking herself. Jinx sat and rubbed her shoulder, apparently Raven wasn't the sort to love tap.

"Yes, as my idiot was saying, we're together, have been for a while now, I'm kind of surprised no one questioned the whole "dancing together for the night at Hallowe'en" thing, and don't worry, neither of us intended to keep it under wraps, both of us have enough completely true things to be shouted at us in the streets, a few slurs aren't going to make us hide… hell, Jinx once, and I saw her do this, once stole candy from babies.!!"

Jinx burst out laughing and nodded.

"I did… its true… Gizmo bet me I wouldn't do it! Easiest five bucks I ever made… plus I got candy!! That was… oh lords; that was the time we tried his plan for the bank heist… worst super-genius plan ever… You made Seemore cry that day! No, seriously, he cried on the way home!! Apparently you hit him in the unmentionables with an ink pack and it went off… Mammoth teased him for a month… painted all his underwear blue…"

At that the three started laughing, Raven excused herself for a moment, and went into the kitchen, as her stomach apparently believed her throat had been slit. As she returned a minute later, she saw the other two were talking again around the giggles, dropping a few hastily made sandwiches in front of her chair she settled into it, grinning when Jinx tried to steal what was apparently the worlds first teleporting sandwich. Eventually she placed a hand on Jinx's wrist to stop her and spoke up.

"You don't want it Jinx, its one of mine remember? I'm not putting up with you moaning about me slipping you raw meat again, seriously, smoked is as good as cooked!"

Paul broke off of his topic, he was trying to get Jinx to talk about more silly bets she had done, sensing a better topic.

"You guys don't share the same tastes? Actually that's a nice solid 'ask a celeb' question! What kind of foods do you guys like?"

The two laughed, and Jinx answered first.

"Actually, for most stuff, we think alike, we both really like spicy foods, we were actually in Indira across the river last night, but when it comes to things like steak or fish we cook 'em separate!"

Raven nodded at this, nearly smiling at Jinx's blatant product placement, no doubt angling for free curry.

"its true though, I like my steak or red meats really rare, blue pretty much, and I hate fish, can't stand it… But cat lady here insists its food, even though it's plainly some kind of alien that just happens to be non-toxic, and likes to burn all the juice out of a perfectly good piece of meat… I guess my racial characteristics just make me shudder at the thought of that…"

"Great, thanks, and as the whole city knows, you all seem to like pizza a lot!, Raven, you talk about Race? I understand you're an American citizen, and you said you were raised by monks… why would something like that come up at the dinner table?"

She looked blank for a moment; obviously she hadn't meant to mention that, which meant the answer was gold.

"… You're aware of my… background… as Trigon's Daughter. Someone blabbed after the whole ordeal… and I'll find that someone one of these days, and when I do, bishop or not, I'm nailing him to a roof. Ahem, I mean… the good Clergyman decided to inform his flock out of concern, when he discerned my origin, and I would dearly like to question his reasons _closely_. Well, frankly being half demon is a bit more of active thing than being half Irish American… I like rare steak; I'm a night owl… naturally pale, that sort of thing…"

At this Jinx laughed a bit and nodded, "its true, you know, she moans whenever I dare actually cook any meat!"

Paul grinned, visions of by-lines dancing through his head as he decided to probe a bit more, hopefully touch on a few more issues, but not actually exploring any, wouldn't do to work the goldmine out in one interview…

"So neither of you girls ever worried about coming out? I understand that its still a huge pressure, and as public figures it must have been a worry that you would become a focus for hate groups, or people with a more ignorant view on this kind of thing… did the option of just keeping it to yourselves never come up?"

Again the two looked at each other, he was starting to think they were talking somehow when they did that; and after a moment the turned back to him, serious expressions marking both faces.

Jinx sighed slightly, and spoke first leaning onto the table slightly as her eyes fixed somewhere into the middle distance.

"I grew up in a bad place, I won't go into it, but the fact that I was different to the public was ground into me from my earliest memories. The people, and I use that term loosely, seemed to think being meta was enough to make me superior, when I finally figured out the lie in that… lets just say the idea of treating someone different, or hiding what I was just left a sour taste in my mouth… I won't bend over to fit into a persona just to make someone else comfortable! I don't dye my hair or get contacts like some Meta's just so an average person doesn't have to deal with something unique, and I don't think I should beat about the bush about who I like, again just to avoid people disapproving, it's something I decided a long time ago…"

Raven was looking at her intently as she spoke; her face was its usually blank mask, though one hand rested on Jinx's lower back for comfort. Realising it was her turn she looked up, life seeming to flow into her features as she spoke.

"… My decision was more recent, honestly, only in the last few months, before that, I couldn't even understand love or attraction, to anyone… all part of my training unfortunately… Jinx cracked that pretty quickly" a smile actually flickered at that, and an honest emotion flowed through her oddly coloured eyes, Paul was sure he was being let closer than most to actually see these things.

"As to remaining in the closet, or trying to hide Jinx… I've had to sacrifice a lot for the good of the world, and to stop Trigon, as close as I can figure it, the planet owes me a little happiness – any hero really – anyone who doesn't like it, or me, only has to ask and I'll ship them to a world I haven't saved. But I have no intention of cramping my personal life for anyone, since I actually have a chance of one now"

He noted the hard expression in her eyes at this, and made what seemed a meaningless scratch on the piece of paper he had withdrawn as the girls spoke, he had long ago worked a sort of cryptic shorthand for expressions and posture when he did voice recorded interviews, it was useful especially when he needed to talk to a few people and didn't want to fudge any detail after word.

He cleared his throat into the cold silence at the table, and smiled as both girls looked up at him from the memories or troubles they had been reliving.

"Thank you both very much for being so candid with me, I know its not usually your style, and you don't know how nice it is to be treated well for once, usually public figures tend to step on reporters, or try and edit our stuff, I promise I'll keep the sensationalist crap away from your piece, and hold to facts, you'll be pleased I'm sure…"

Both smiled at him and Jinx wandered off to her quarters to change and freshen up, he finished fixing the papers as he placed them into his case and stood to look for beast boy or Cyborg.

He noticed Raven on her own now, as soon as he made eye contact, her face changed. Hardened, and her eyes, four of them he noticed fearfully glowed dully in red.

"Your right Paul, you will treat that piece well, your not going to spice it up, or put a slant on it for a book deal, because you know how I deal with the press, and because I'll tear the soul clean out of your brief mortal frame and jam it in backward if one word that you write speak or think ever hurts Jinx. Clear?"

As the pieces of the nice facade he had come to believe was the girl behind the walls finished hitting the floor, he could only nod and attempt to swallow, the least reassuring smile he had ever witnessed briefly graced the room as if looking for victims, then it, and the terrible figure he suddenly realised he had been chatting to swept past him, her steps mad no noise… if she was even touching the ground.

The suddenly cold reporter started violently when a weight dropped onto his shoulder; spinning quickly he managed to catch Cyborg as he repeated himself.

"You alright man? You've been standing looking at the door for a minute now…"

'Poor guy, looks like Raven pulled her heel turn on him, even moved one of the air conditioners to push cold air down his neck… wish she wouldn't do that… takes ages to reset it perfectly'

Paul seemed to gather himself after a moment of completely blank expression, with a twitch that reminded Cyborg of a computer resetting, he locked back into the smooth professional face and voice.

"Sure, thanks for asking, the girls kind of dropped a bigger piece in my lap than I thought… threw me off for a minute, you ready to talk? If you want to go somewhere you would be more comfortable…?"

"Naw, here's fine, I'm free for a while now, and it's not my turn for cooking or shopping, so why not?"

They seated themselves at the broad table sitting one chair apart so that voices didn't have to raise enough to reach the princess on the couch. Paul pulled out his recorder, checking that it was still in one piece on reflex; one of the older journo's had always complained that he had lost the tongue slip of the last century when the mayor referred to the female intern placement program as the "meat shipments" in an interview, the poor writer had hit pause not record and couldn't ever print it.

Smoothing a blank piece of paper he scrawled Cyborg on the top and looked up with a brief smile before hitting the record button.

"Ok, here I am with the biggest teen in the city, and one of the smartest – Cyborg of the titans."

"Hey! One of?!"

Cyborg's interruption was tinged with humour, but he decided to answer.

"I'm playing safe, I have no idea how good Raven's hearing is you see"

Cyborg laughed at that and nodded, a huge smile breaking out, it seemed to be the teen's natural expression, and could put anyone at ease with his initially discomfiting presence.

"That's a good plan, Rae IS very intelligent, and very inventive. Never annoy a teleporter, or a telekinetic. And Rae is both!, so do you have questions, or are we just talking bout how great I am? Either's fine"

A quick grin at the last statement faded as Paul coughed, wondering how to phrase the most obvious question.

"Well, to be honest one of the most asked questions about you, and I don't know if it's ever been asked straight to you, is about your … metal? Some journalists report it as armour, some as a true prosthetic; some argue that you probably have a mix of the two, is it ok to ask you to talk about that?"

Cyborg's grin faded slightly, but he nodded.

"Ya, its ok, a couple years ago, I would've taken it up wrong you know? But, ya… it's a real prosthetic, both legs, both arms, an eye and a large amount of my torso, with parts of my brain and nervous system are all augmented, its true it acts as armour, but considering my job, of course I souped up the survivability right?.

I would be very dead if I wasn't given this stuff, I can't talk about the accident, or where I got the stuff, it was part of the deal, all I can say, was it was non governmental, and American."

Paul nodded, advanced prototypes for medical devices often carried strict non-disclosure, it prevented a lot of bad publicity if it burst into flames on contact with sunlight or something.

"Ok, that's all understandable, and thanks for clearing it up. Without touching on the actual incident, how did you deal with the changes? I imagine some fairly severe shifts happened all at once…"

Again, the teen nodded and seemed to compose his answer before he began to reply.

"After… well physically, I was better than I had any right to be, this stuff wasn't tuned in, and was actually kind of crude at the time, well, compared to now… so it still felt alien, but I was moving, and I could see; which was unimaginable considering the damage, but emotionally… I was a sports guy you know? I was on the Wrestling team, I was a star linebacker, even played basketball, although I wasn't on the team, just liked it I guess, I had a couple scholarships lined up, years before college was even a worry, and a few teams asking around if I didn't want to go to college…

Life was looking good you know? I loved working out, practising, I really got a kick out of doing something, and improving myself, after a hard day, I knew I was that little bit better – don't get me wrong I loved cars and engineering too, but I was the sports figure of tomorrow… all on my own work, and my own sweat, that felt great!

Then… before I went back to school, I checked the rules of the pro sports, or the college leagues, and these life saving devices, which I could never take off, disqualified me from everything… I lived, but the saving of my life destroyed my ideal future…

I was screwed up for a while, but I ended up putting myself into books, you could say I was in a good place to study back home, and the guys who built this stuff were cool about explaining the principles, and really talked with me about what it was like to use, I kinda dragged myself out of the funk by deciding I could replace the future they cost me, with one they opened up for me…"

Paul nodded, he could see the rock solid person behind the jokes and the metal, Cyborg had literally had it all taken away, and clawed a new, great life out of his own disability, without the titans he could make a lot of money inspiring people… but, probably wouldn't take it.

"Cyborg, nowadays, as Cyborg you're regarded as the standard bearer for the team, while Robin is seen leading, you always seem to be the one shouting encouragement or helping the others realise that they can get up, and they can win, do you see that as a job of yours? – I mean, is it a natural team player thing, or do you do it consciously, try and help moral? Not to mention on top of that, your seen as one of the strongest people on earth, and have been kicked and smashed by the biggest weirdest things this side of Gotham, without ever seeming downbeat, do you ever feel like your hitting your limits?!"

Cyborg smiled again at the change of direction and replied quickly.

"ya, the whole shouting thing is just me, Raven has threatened to weld my mouth shut once or twice because I do that everywhere, I cheer on steaks when I'm cooking 'em! But, I played a lot of team games, and sometimes it is just about which side can get up that last time and keep moving forward, and that kind of thing needs someone to be a banner, I kind of like doing that I guess. And as for limits? For a while, I felt like I could never improve again – I was Cyborg forever, nothing more, but Starfire really knocked that out of me – got me back into proper training and I'm getting that buzz of pushing through something that a week ago I couldn't do again, its kinda cool, plus she brought the spec's for tamaranean gym equipment so I get to train full on again!"

Paul smiled broadly, if Raven and Jinx never did an interview, Cyborg could put the self help industry out of business, he was perfect, completely genuine, no nonsense about anything, but funny and engaging and able to inspire rocks to float, It really was a shame he never got to play football in the big leagues.

"Ok, since I'm in here I have to bring up the similarity between you and the towers systems, and that is the biggest entertainment centre on earth isn't it? I have never seen a TV capable of life size picture in picture before, or a stereo with a big red button covered in hazard strips… your influence?"

"Cyborg broke into a laugh as the reporter gestured at the entertainment equipment, not hard, since it occupied two of the main halls huge walls entirely.

"Ya, I helped outfit the tower internally, and I guess I'm fond of this colour scheme by now! And those are two of my babies, a hand built TV capable of playing every form of recorded data on earth, and the Tamaranean version of DVD's. Their music scares me. The hazard strips are jinx and Beastboy's touch, they both have better hearing than normal, and warned me against pushing that button while their in the building, I call it the spinal tap setting."

"It goes to 11?!"

"Actually… about 43 if we consider max without hitting it 10… first time I pressed it, I broke every window in the tower…"

The steel teen drifted off fondly, a small smile appeared at the memory of a flying beastboy falling from the sky in fright, and an angry Raven threatening to recycle his gizzard if he broke her mirror again – luckily it was her antique full length mirror, as opposed to the small portal to her hell dimension / mind.

Cyborg looked up from his memory as a small reminder flashed onto his left eyes display.

"sorry man, I have to go, its time to go to work on fixing up Robins bike, and I want to work in a remote control to the ejector seat while spikey isn't here…"

Paul nodded, a tight grin agreeing with the huge one decorating the standing teen

"Just give me a heads up if you're going to test that in public!! I think I have a photographer who would pay nicely for that action shot!"

He stood back from the table, arranging his papers again; he glanced around to find Beastboy, but couldn't see him, confused he caught up with Cyborg before he could get out of the room.

"Have you seen Beastboy? I wanted to talk to him as well…"

Cyborg nodded, and then seemed to glance into the distance for a moment.

"Sorry man, BB is a few miles out… probably went for a flight, he does that to clear his head sometimes, and I don't know about you interviewing him, he's only a kid man, I wouldn't want him to be stuck with something stupid he said now for the next few years…"

The teen's voice hardened as he finished; the warning clear as he spoke of his youngest team mate.

Frozen for a moment, as the second hero in an hour laid a veiled threat at his feet, the reporter shook himself and smiled, genuinely this time.

"You're right; he's too young to be booted into the public arena… I'd be nice, but the next one wouldn't be, and he would eventually say the wrong thing, or some hack would make it look that way… I'll leave him alone for a few years."

Cyborg smiled again, the steel going out of his expression… metaphorically anyway; at this response, he was just bruising a few ribs lightly by slapping Paul on the back with one huge palm when a dishevelled Robin burst through the door.

Cyborg was taken aback for a moment, Robin was never mussed, he could fight super villains without damaging his good hair day,

'What the hell is up?'

Robin straightened, noticing the lack of team members, and the reporter his face hardened.

"Sorry, but the interviews over. I'm going to have to ask you to leave now. Cy call the others; we have trouble."

A weakly protesting reporter was gently ejected from the room by Cyborg, only giving in when he was "offered" a teleport home courtesy of Ravens shadow realm.

Within a few minutes the team was gathered around the table, even if Beastboy was sweating slightly, having winged his way back as a peregrine falcon.

Robin turned to face the team, the others; barring Jinx all cringed as they saw what was privately known as Robins 'Slade face' was on display.

"Guys, serious trouble, the info he gave us was good, but something worse just arrived"

Taking a deep breath the teen settled himself, meeting his friends eyes before he spoke again.

"Fifteen minutes ago the American airlines flight from metropolis landed.

…

Lady Shiva is in Jump."


End file.
